Footwear with knit upper and method of manufacturing the footwear

• US 7,131,296 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2006
• Issued: 11/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Dua, Bhupesh, Thomas, Edward Nathaniel
• Primary Examiner(s): WORRELL JR, LARRY D
• Application Number:
  US11/334,731
• Publication Number:
  US 20060130359A1
• Time in Patent Office: 294 Days
• Field of Search: 66170-188, 36/9.R, 36/45
• US Class Current: 66/178.00R
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/04 braided, knotted, knitted or crocheted
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/025 assembled by stitching
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0295 Pieced uppers
• 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 3/00 Footwear characterised by the shape or the use
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 9/00 Footwear characterised by the assembling of the individual parts
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/102 with stitch pattern D04B1/06, D04B1/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/106 at a selvedge, e.g. hems or turned welts
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/26 stockings
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 9/26 for producing patterned fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2501/043 Footwear

Abstract

An article of footwear with a knit upper and a method of manufacturing the footwear are disclosed. The upper is formed through a knitting process to include a plurality of sections formed of different yarns and knits to provide the sections with different physical properties. In portions of the upper where sections formed of different yarns are in adjacent wales, a tuck stitch is utilized to join the sections. The method utilizes a circular knitting machine having multiple feeds that work together to knit the upper into a unitary, seamless structure. The multiple feeds, each of which provide multiple types of yarns, produce the sections to have varying physical properties.

Claims

1. An article for receiving a foot of a wearer, the article comprising a plurality of sections formed of knit materials, the plurality of sections including a first section and a second section, the first section including a first yarn with a first physical property, the first yarn being substantially absent from the second section, and the second section including a second yarn with a second physical property, the second yarn being substantially absent from the first section, the first physical property being different than the second physical property, and the first and second sections being connected by tuck stitches, the hick stitches joining the first section and the second section in a seamless manner between adjacent wales.

2. The article of claim 1, wherein a knit of at least one of the first section and the second section defines a plurality of apertures.

3. The article of claim 1 wherein the plurality of sections form a sock.

4. The article of claim 1, wherein a stretchability of the first yarn is greater than a stretchability of the second yarn.

5. The article of claim 1, wherein an abrasion-resistance of the first yarn is greater than an abrasion-resistance of the second yarn.

6. The article of claim 1, wherein a knit of at least one of the first section and the second section is ribbed.

7. The article of claim 1, wherein a material of the first yarn is different than a material of the second yarn.

8. An article for receiving a foot of a wearer, the article comprising a plurality of sections formed of knit materials, the sections including:

an ankle section;

an instep section positioned forward of the ankle section;

a heel section positioned below the ankle section; and

a primary section that forms a lower portion and side portions of an upper, at least two of the sections being formed of different yarns with different physical properties, each of the yarns in a first of the at least two of the sections being absent from a second of the at least two the sections, and the at least two of the sections being joined by tuck stitches in a seamless manner, the tuck stitches joining the at least two sections between adjacent wales.

9. The article of claim 8, wherein the different physical properties are stretchabilities of the yarns.

10. The article of claim 8, wherein the different physical properties are abrasion-resistances of the yarns.

11. The article of claim 8, wherein the plurality of sections form a sock.

12. The article of claim 8, wherein a knit of at least one of the sections is ribbed.

13. The article of claim 8, wherein the different yarns are formed from different materials.

14. An article for receiving a foot of a wearer, the article comprising a plurality of sections formed of knit materials, the plurality of sections including:

a first section substantially formed a first yarn with a first physical property, the first yarn being knit such that the first section exhibits a first type of stitch; and

a second section substantially formed a second yarn with a second physical property, the second yarn being knit such that the second section exhibits a second type of stitch,

wherein the first physical property is different than the second physical property, the first type of stitch is different than the second type of stitch, the first yarn is substantially absent from the second section, the second yarn is substantially absent from the first section and the first section and the second section are connected by tuck stitches, the tuck stitches joining the first section and the second section in a seamless manner between adjacent wales.

15. The article of claim 14, wherein the first section and the second section are formed of yarns incorporating different materials.

17. The article of claim 14, wherein the different physical properties are abrasion-resistances of the yarns.

18. The article of claim 14, wherein the second section and a third section that is separate from the second section are joined by tuck stitches, the tuck stitches joining the second section and the third section between adjacent wales.

19. The article of claim 14, wherein the plurality of sections form a sock.

16. The article of 14, wherein the different physical properties are stretchabilities of the yarns.

20. An article for receiving a foot of a wearer, the article comprising a plurality of sections formed of knit materials, the plurality of sections including a first section and a second section, the first section including a first yarn with a first physical property, the first yarn being substantially absent from the second section, and the second section including a second yarn with a second physical property, a material of the first yarn being different than a material of the second yarn, and the second yarn being substantially absent from the first section, the first physical property being different than the second physical property, and the first and second sections being connected by tuck stitches, the tuck stitches joining the first section and the second section in a seamless manner.

21. The article of claim 20, wherein a knit of at least one of the first section and the second section defines a plurality of apertures.

22. The article of claim 20 wherein the plurality of sections form a sock.

23. The article of claim 20, wherein a stretchability of the first yarn is greater than a stretchability of the second yarn.

24. The article of claim 20, wherein an abrasion-resistance of the first yarn is greater than an abrasion-resistance of the second yarn.

25. The article of claim 20, wherein a knit of at least one of the first section and the second section is ribbed.