Article of footwear having a textile upper

• US 8,042,288 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2010
• Issued: 10/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Thomas, Edward Nathaniel, Dua, Bhupesh
• Primary Examiner(s): Patterson; Marie
• Application Number:
  US12/879,517
• Publication Number:
  US 20100325916A1
• Time in Patent Office: 410 Days
• Field of Search: 36/45, 36/10, 36/3.A, 36/55
• US Class Current: 36/45
• 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 23/021 Leather
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0215 Plastics or artificial leather
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0235 Different layers of different material
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/026 Laminated layers
• 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 23/028 Resilient uppers, e.g. shock absorbing
• 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: A43B 23/08 Heel stiffeners; Toe stiffeners
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/085 in the upper
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/14 with foot-supporting parts
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/1495 with arch-supports of the bracelet type
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 9/02 Footwear stitched or nailed through
• CPC Class Codes: A43D 111/00 Shoe machines with conveyors for jacked shoes or for shoes or shoe parts
• 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: A43D 8/02 Cutting-out cutting in general B26D, B26F; of leather articles in general C14B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/102 with stitch pattern D04B1/06, D04B1/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/24 : wearing apparel
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 21/20 : specially adapted for knitting articles of particular configuration
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 21/207 : Wearing apparel or garment blanks
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2501/043 : Footwear

Abstract

An article of footwear and a method of manufacturing the article of footwear are disclosed. The footwear may include an upper and a sole structure. The upper incorporates a textile element with edges that are joined together to define at least a portion of a void for receiving a foot. The textile element may also have a first area and a second area with a unitary construction. The first area is formed of a first stitch configuration, and the second area is formed of a second stitch configuration that is different from the first stitch configuration to impart varying textures to a surface of the textile element. Various warp knitting or weft knitting processes may be utilized to form the textile element.

Claims

1. An article of footwear comprising:

an upper incorporating a circular-knitted textile element having a plurality of knit constructions, the circular-knitted textile element being removed from a circular-knitted textile structure, and further having longitudinal edges that are joined together to define at least a portion of a void for receiving a foot; and

a sole structure secured to the upper.

2. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the circular-knitted textile element forms at least a portion of a lateral side, a medial side, and an instep region of the upper.

3. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the edges include a pair of first edges that are joined to form a first seam extending longitudinally along a lower region of the upper.

4. The article of footwear recited in claim 3, wherein the edges include a pair of second edges that are joined to form a second seam extending along a heel region of the upper.

5. The article of footwear recited in claim 4, wherein the second seam extends vertically.

6. The article of footwear recited in claim 4, wherein the edges includ at least a pair of third edges that are joined to form a third seam extending through a forefoot area of the upper.

7. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the circular-knitted textile element is one of an exterior layer, an intermediate layer, and an interior layer of the upper.

8. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the upper includes an exterior layer, an intermediate layer, and an interior layer, and the circular-knitted textile element forms at least a portion of the interior layer.

9. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the circular-knitted textile element forms at least a portion of both an interior surface and an exterior surface of the upper.

10. The article of footwear recited in claim 9, wherein at least one additional element is secured to the exterior surface and forms a portion of the exterior surface.

11. The article of footwear recited in claim 10, wherein the additional element is secured to a forefoot area of the upper.

12. The article of footwear recited in claim 10, wherein the additional element is secured to a heel area of the upper.

13. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the circular-knitted textile element forms an interior surface of the upper.

14. An article of footwear comprising:

an upper incorporating a circular-knitted textile element, the circular-knitted textile element having a first area and a second area with a unitary construction, the first area being formed of a first stitch configuration, and the second area being formed of a second stitch configuration that is different from the first stitch configuration to impart varying properties to the circular-knitted textile element, wherein the varying properties are aesthetic or structural, wherein the upper includes an exterior layer, an intermediate layer, and an interior layer, and the circular-knitted textile element forms at least a portion of the interior layer; and

a sole structure secured to the upper.

15. The article of footwear recited in claim 14, wherein the first stitch configuration provides a substantially smooth texture to the first area, and the second stitch configuration provides a texture to the second area that is rougher than the smooth texture.

16. The article of footwear recited in claim 15, wherein the second stitch configuration forms a rib structure in the second area.

17. The article of footwear recited in claim 14, wherein at least one of the first stitch configuration and the second stitch configuration forms an aperture in the circular-knitted textile element.

18. The article of footwear recited in claim 14, wherein the circular-knitted textile element is one of an exterior layer, an intermediate layer, and an interior layer of the upper.

19. The article of footwear recited in claim 14, wherein the circular-knitted textile element forms at least a portion of both an interior surface and an exterior surface of the upper.

20. The article of footwear recited in claim 14, wherein the circular-knitted textile element forms an interior surface of the upper.

21. An article of footwear comprising:

an upper incorporating a circular-knitted textile element having a plurality of knit constructions, and further having edges that are joined together to form seams and define at least a portion of a void for receiving a foot, the seams including a first seam and a second seam, the first seam extending from a heel area to a forefoot area of the footwear along a lower surface of the upper, and the second seam extending vertically in the heel area; and

a sole structure secured to the upper.

22. The article of footwear recited in claim 21, wherein the footwear includes a third seam extending through the forefoot area of the upper.

23. The article of footwear recited in claim 21, wherein at least one of the knit constructions forms an aperture in the circular-knitted textile element.

24. The article of footwear recited in claim 21, wherein the knit constructions produce varying properties in the circular-knitted textile element including a varying elasticity of the circular-knitted textile element.

25. The article of footwear recited in claim 21, wherein the knit constructions produce varying properties in the circular-knitted textile element including a varying air permeability of the circular-knitted textile element.

26. The article of footwear recited in claim 21, wherein the circular-knitted textile element is one of an exterior layer, an intermediate layer, and an interior layer of the upper.

27. The article of footwear recited in claim 21, wherein the circular-knitted textile element forms at least a portion of both an interior surface and an exterior surface of the upper.

28. The article of footwear recited in claim 21, wherein the circular-knitted textile element forms an interior surface of the footwear, and at least one additional textile element forms an exterior surface of the footwear.

29. An article of footwear comprising:

an upper incorporating a circular-knitted textile element having a plurality of knit constructions, wherein the circular-knitted textile element is formed with a knitting machine, the circular-knitted textile element being removed from a circular-knitted textile structure that includes an outline of the circular-knitted textile element, and the circular-knitted textile element having longitudinal edges that are joined together to define at least a portion of a void for receiving a foot; and

a sole structure secured to the upper.

30. The article of footwear recited in claim 29, wherein the circular-knitted textile element has a structure formed by a wide-tube circular knitting machine.

31. The article of footwear recited in claim 29, wherein the edges include a pair of first edges that are joined to form a first seam extending longitudinally along a lower region of the upper.

32. The article of footwear recited in claim 31, wherein the edges include a pair of second edges that are joined to form a second seam extending along a heel region of the upper.

33. The article of footwear recited in claim 32, wherein the edges include at least a pair of third edges that are joined to form a second seam extending through a forefoot area of the upper.

34. The article of footwear recited in claim 29, wherein the circular-knitted textile element is one of an exterior layer, an intermediate layer, and an interior layer of the upper.

35. The article of footwear recited in claim 29, wherein the circular-knitted textile element forms an interior surface of the upper.

36. An article of footwear comprising:

an upper incorporating a knitted textile element, wherein the knitted textile element is formed unitarily with a knitted textile structure, the knitted textile element being removed from the knitted textile structure that includes an outline of the knitted textile element to form edges, the knitted textile element having a first area with a first unitary construction and a second area with a second unitary construction different from the first unitary construction, the first area having a first set of properties, and the second area having a second set of properties that is different from the first set of properties to impart varying characteristics to the textile element, and further having the edges joined together to form a seam extending from a heel area to a forefoot area of the footwear along a lower surface of the upper; and

a sole structure secured to the upper.

37. The article of footwear recited in claim 36, wherein the first set of properties and the second set of properties are at least one of a stitch configuration and a yarn type.

38. The article of footwear recited in claim 36, wherein the knitted textile element is one of an exterior layer, an intermediate layer, and an interior layer of the upper.