METHOD FOR PRODUCING SHOE UPPER, AND SHOE UPPER

• US 20160066651A1
• Filed: 03/28/2014
• Published: 03/10/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shima Seiki Manufacturing Limited
• Original Assignee: Shima Seiki Manufacturing Limited
• Inventors: TERAI, Kenta, KINO, Takashi, IKENAKA, Masamitsu
• Granted Patent: US 9,976,236 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 23/04 Uppers made of one piece; Uppers with inserted gussets
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/042 Uppers made of one piece one piece slippers A43B3/106; one piece sandals A43B3/124
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/106 at a selvedge, e.g. hems or turned welts
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/22 specially adapted for knitting goods of particular configuration
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/24 wearing apparel
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2403/0332 with gussets folding into three dimensional shape, e.g. seat covers
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2501/043 Footwear

Abstract

There is provided a method for producing a shoe upper with which a shoe upper can be produced with high productivity, and a shoe upper obtained with the method for producing the shoe upper. An instep cover section (3) and a sole cover section (2) are integrally knitted in a seamless manner by carrying out process α and then carrying out process β or by carrying out process β and then carrying out process α with a flat knitting machine including at least a pair of a front and a back needle bed. [Process α] Knitting a main body left portion (3L), which is a left side portion of the instep cover section (3), with one needle bed of the flat knitting machine and knitting a main body right portion (3R), which is a right side portion of the instep cover section (3), with the other needle bed of the flat knitting machine. [Process β] Knitting a bottom left portion (2L), which is a left side portion of the sole cover section (2) with one needle bed, and a bottom right portion (2R), which is a right side portion of the sole cover section (2), with the other needle bed.

Claims

1. A method for producing a shoe upper for producing the shoe upper including an instep cover section that includes an opening and covers a portion on an instep side of a wearer and a sole cover section that covers a sole of the wearer;

wherein the instep cover section and the sole cover section are integrally knitted in a seamless manner with a flat knitting machine including at least a pair of a front and a back needle bed, either by carrying out process α

that includes knitting a set up portion of the instep cover section and then carrying out process β and

connecting the sole cover section knitted in a state separated to right and left in the process β

, or by carrying out the process β

that includes knitting the set up portion of the sole cover section and then carrying out the process α and

carrying out unraveling prevention of a knitting terminating portion of the instep cover section;

[process α

] knitting a main body left portion with one needle bed of the flat knitting machine and knitting a main body right portion with the other needle bed of the flat knitting machine using at least one of flechage knitting or tubular knitting so that the main body left portion to become a left side portion of the instep cover section and the main body right portion to become a right side portion of the instep cover section are connected on a heel side and a toe side of the shoe upper; and

[process β

] knitting a bottom left portion with one needle bed of the flat knitting machine and knitting a bottom right portion with the other needle bed of the flat knitting machine using flechage knitting so that the bottom left portion to become a left side portion of the sole cover section and the bottom right portion to become a right side portion of the sole cover section are separated.

2. The method for producing the shoe upper according to claim 1, wherein

when knitting an overlapping knitted fabric section in which the set up portion or the knitting terminating portion is connected to the main body left portion and the main body right portion and overlapped in a thickness direction of the instep cover section,

knitting of increasing a stitch row configuring the instep cover section is not carried out until the knitting of the overlapping knitted fabric section is terminated;

and

when increasing the stitch row configuring the instep cover section, a state in which stitches of the overlapping knitted fabric section are not held on the needle beds for knitting the instep cover section is obtained.

3. The method for producing the shoe upper according to claim 2, wherein in the process α

,

the overlapping knitted fabric section is set up at a position overlapping a knitting region of the instep cover section, and the overlapping knitted fabric section is completed using the flechage knitting, and thereafter,

a stitch row of the knitting terminating portion of the overlapping knitted fabric section is overlapped and connected with a stitch row of a part of the instep cover section and knitting is carried out to increase the stitch row configuring the instep cover section.

4. The method for producing the shoe upper according to claim 2, wherein in the process α

,

the set up portion of the overlapping knitted fabric section branched from the instep cover section is knitted at the position overlapping the knitting region of the instep cover section; and

the overlapping knitted fabric section is completed following the set up portion, and the overlapping knitted fabric section is removed from the needle beds.

5. The method for producing the shoe upper according to claim 2, wherein the overlapping knitted fabric section is connected to a vicinity of the opening of the instep cover section.

6. The method for producing the shoe upper according to claim 1, wherein

when carrying out the process β

after the process α

, the sole cover section in the process β

is knitted with a fusible knitting yarn including a heat fusible yarn; and

after connecting the bottom left portion and the bottom right portion knitted in a state separated in the process β

by knitting, a connecting portion is fused by thermal process.

7. A shoe upper including an instep cover section that includes an opening and covers a portion on an instep side of a wearer and a sole cover section that covers a sole of the wearer;

wherein

when assuming a left side portion and a right side portion of the instep cover section as a main body left portion and a main body right portion, respectively, and a left side portion and a right side portion of the sole cover section as a bottom left portion and a bottom right portion, respectively;

a seam is not formed between the main body left portion and the bottom left portion and between the main body right portion and the bottom right portion, and a set up portion or a knitting terminating portion of the shoe upper is formed at a boundary portion of the bottom left portion and the bottom right portion; and

a knitting width direction of the instep cover section and the sole cover section is a length direction of the shoe upper.