Article of footwear having a knit upper with a polymer layer
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the upper comprising:
- a knitted component formed of unitary knit construction, the knitted component including a tubular structure, the tubular structure comprising a first knitted layer and a second knitted layer that are overlapping and joined along opposite edges to form an unsecured central area of the tubular structure;
a strand having a configuration of a one-dimensional material, the strand extending through at least a portion of a length of the unsecured central area of the tubular structure;
a polymer layer bonded to the knitted component and forming a majority of an exterior surface of the upper; and
wherein the polymer layer infiltrates and bonds to the first knitted layer of the tubular structure and remains unsecured to the second knitted layer of the tubular structure.
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Abstract
An article of footwear has an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper. The upper includes a knitted component and a polymer layer. The knitted component is formed of unitary knit construction and extends along a lateral side of the upper, along a medial side of the upper, over a forefoot region of the upper, and around a heel region of the upper. The polymer layer is bonded to the knitted component and may form a majority of an exterior surface of the upper. The polymer layer may be formed from a thermoplastic polymer material.
182 Citations
22 Claims
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1. An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the upper comprising:
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a knitted component formed of unitary knit construction, the knitted component including a tubular structure, the tubular structure comprising a first knitted layer and a second knitted layer that are overlapping and joined along opposite edges to form an unsecured central area of the tubular structure; a strand having a configuration of a one-dimensional material, the strand extending through at least a portion of a length of the unsecured central area of the tubular structure; a polymer layer bonded to the knitted component and forming a majority of an exterior surface of the upper; and wherein the polymer layer infiltrates and bonds to the first knitted layer of the tubular structure and remains unsecured to the second knitted layer of the tubular structure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 20, 21, 22)
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10. An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the upper comprising:
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a knitted component formed of unitary knit construction and extending along a lateral side of the upper, along a medial side of the upper, over a forefoot region of the upper, and around a heel region of the upper; a plurality of tubular structures disposed on the knitted component, the plurality of tubular structures including a first tubular structure and a second tubular structure disposed on at least one of the lateral side and the medial side of the upper, the first tubular structure and the second tubular structure being disposed adjacent to each other on the same side of the upper; at least one strand located within the knitted component on one of the lateral side and the medial side, the strand extending upward through the first tubular structure from an area proximal the sole structure, the strand extending downward through the second tubular structure towards the area proximal the sole structure, and the strand extending outward from the knitted component between the first tubular structure and the second tubular structure to form one of a lateral loop on the lateral side and a medial loop on the medial side; a lace extending through at least one of the lateral loop and the medial loop; a polymer layer bonded to the knitted component and forming a majority of an exterior surface of the upper; and wherein at least one of the lateral loop and the medial loop are located between the polymer layer and the knitted component. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification