KNIT TEXTILES AND UPPERS, AND PROCESSES FOR MAKING THE SAME
First Claim
1. A combination upper and outsole for an article of footwear, comprising:
- a first re-flowed material, wherein the first re-flowed material is a melted and re-solidified product of a first yarn, and wherein the first re-flowed material comprises a low processing temperature polymeric composition, the low processing temperature polymeric composition comprising one or more first thermoplastic polymers; and
wherein the low processing temperature polymeric composition exhibits a melting temperature Tm that is 135°
C. or less; and
a second yarn, the second yarn comprising a high processing temperature polymeric composition, the high processing temperature polymeric composition comprising one or more second thermoplastic polymers, wherein the high processing temperature polymeric composition exhibits at least one of;
1) a creep relaxation temperature Tcr;
2) a heat deflection temperature Thd;
or
3) a Vicat softening temperature Tvs that is greater than the melting temperature Tm of the low processing temperature polymeric composition,wherein at least a portion of the second yarn is present in at least a first course of loops and a second course of loops, wherein at least a portion of the first course of loops of the second yarn and at least a portion of the second course of loops of the second yarn are connected by at least a portion of the first re-flowed material; and
wherein the combination upper and outsole includes a medial midfoot area, a lateral midfoot area, a ground-facing outsole area, and at least a portion of the first re-flowed material is present on the ground-facing outsole area.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Articles of wear having one or more textiles that include a low processing temperature polymeric composition and a high processing temperature polymeric composition, and methods of manufacturing the same are disclosed. The low processing temperature polymeric composition and the high processing temperature polymeric composition can be selectively incorporated into a textile to provide one or more structural properties and/or other advantageous properties to the article. The textile can be thermoformed to impart such structural and/or other advantageous properties to the article of wear. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure.
41 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A combination upper and outsole for an article of footwear, comprising:
-
a first re-flowed material, wherein the first re-flowed material is a melted and re-solidified product of a first yarn, and wherein the first re-flowed material comprises a low processing temperature polymeric composition, the low processing temperature polymeric composition comprising one or more first thermoplastic polymers; and
wherein the low processing temperature polymeric composition exhibits a melting temperature Tm that is 135°
C. or less; anda second yarn, the second yarn comprising a high processing temperature polymeric composition, the high processing temperature polymeric composition comprising one or more second thermoplastic polymers, wherein the high processing temperature polymeric composition exhibits at least one of;
1) a creep relaxation temperature Tcr;
2) a heat deflection temperature Thd;
or
3) a Vicat softening temperature Tvs that is greater than the melting temperature Tm of the low processing temperature polymeric composition,wherein at least a portion of the second yarn is present in at least a first course of loops and a second course of loops, wherein at least a portion of the first course of loops of the second yarn and at least a portion of the second course of loops of the second yarn are connected by at least a portion of the first re-flowed material; and wherein the combination upper and outsole includes a medial midfoot area, a lateral midfoot area, a ground-facing outsole area, and at least a portion of the first re-flowed material is present on the ground-facing outsole area. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification