Article of footwear having a textile upper

• US 8,266,749 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2011
• Issued: 09/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2004
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Dua, Bhupesh, Thomas, Edward Nathaniel
• Primary Examiner(s): PATTERSON, MARIE D
• Application Number:
  US13/236,742
• Publication Number:
  US 20120005922A1
• Time in Patent Office: 364 Days
• Field of Search: 121/46.C, 121/42.G, 36/45, 36/10, 36/55, 36/3.A
• US Class Current: 12/146.C
• 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. A method of manufacturing an article of footwear, the method comprising:

simultaneously knitting a textile element with a surrounding textile structure, the knitted textile element having at least one knitted texture that differs from a knitted texture in the surrounding knitted textile structure;

removing the knitted textile element from the surrounding knitted textile structure;

incorporating the knitted textile element into the article of footwear.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein simultaneously knitting a textile element with a surrounding textile structure includes simultaneously knitting a plurality of textile elements.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein simultaneously knitting a textile element with a surrounding textile includes knitting an outline of the knitted textile element.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the outline has the shape and proportion of the knitted textile element.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the knitted textile element has a substantially planar configuration upon removal from the surrounding knitted textile structure.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the knitted textile element includes longitudinal edges formed when the knitted textile element is removed from the surrounding knitted textile structure.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the longitudinal edges are joined together to define at least a portion of a void for receiving a foot.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the knitted textile element has a plurality of different knitted textures formed by varying at least one of the stitch type and the yarn type.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein simultaneously knitting a textile element with a surrounding textile structure includes utilizing a wide-tube circular knitting machine.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein simultaneously knitting a textile element with a surrounding textile structure includes utilizing a jacquard double needle-bar raschel knitting machine.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein simultaneously knitting a textile element with a surrounding textile structure includes forming the knitted textile element to include 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 textures to a surface of the knitted textile element.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein incorporating the knitted textile element into the article of footwear includes securing edges of the knitted textile element to form a seam that extends along a lower region of an upper and securing the upper to a sole structure.

13. A method of manufacturing an article of footwear, the method comprising:

knitting a first textile element and a second textile element simultaneously with knitting a surrounding textile structure, the first knitted textile element located within a first portion of the knitted textile structure, the second knitted textile element located within a second portion of the knitted textile structure,

varying at least one of the types of stitches or the types of yarns in the knitted textile structure to impart a texture to the first and second knitted textile elements different from a texture of the knitted textile structure extending between the first and second portions;

removing the first and second knitted textile elements from the knitted textile structure;

incorporating at least one of the first and second knitted textile elements into the article of footwear.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein knitting a first textile knitted element simultaneously with a surrounding knitted textile structure includes knitting an outline of the first knitted textile element.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the first and second textile knitted elements have substantially planar configurations upon removal from the surrounding knitted textile structure.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the first knitted textile element includes longitudinal edges formed when the first knitted textile element is removed from the surrounding knitted textile structure.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the longitudinal edges are joined together to define at least a portion of a void for receiving a foot.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein incorporating the first knitted textile element into the article of footwear includes securing the longitudinal edges of the first knitted textile element to form a seam that extends along a lower region of an upper.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein knitting the first and second knitted textile elements simultaneously with a surrounding knitted textile structure includes utilizing a wide-tube circular knitting machine.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein knitting the first and second textile knitted elements simultaneously with a surrounding knitted textile structure includes utilizing a jacquard double needle-bar raschel knitting machine.

21. The method of claim 13, wherein knitting the first knitted textile element simultaneously with a surrounding knitted textile structure includes forming the first knitted textile element to include 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 textures to a surface of the first knitted textile element.