Article of footwear incorporating a knitted component
First Claim
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1. An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the upper including a knitted component comprising:
- a first yarn and a second yarn that are knitted together to form an area of the knitted component corresponding to at least one of a medial side and a lateral side of the upper, the first yarn being at least partially formed from a thermoplastic polymer material, and the second yarn being entirely formed from at least one of a thermoset polymer material and natural fibers;
an inlaid strand extending continuously through at least two courses formed by the first yarn and the second yarn of said area of the knitted component on the at least one of the medial side and the lateral side of the upper;
the at least one of the medial side and the lateral side of the upper including a plurality of apertures for receiving a lace, the plurality of apertures being disposed in a throat area of the upper, and the inlaid strand extending through said at least two courses further extending around at least two apertures of the plurality of apertures within the knitted component; and
wherein the inlaid strand and the first yarn are fused to each other by the thermoplastic polymer material forming the first yarn.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An article of footwear may include an upper incorporating a knitted component. An inlaid strand extends through the knitted component. A combination feeder may be utilized to inlay the strand within the knitted component. As an example, the combination feeder may include a feeder arm that reciprocates between a retracted position and an extended position. In manufacturing the knitted component, the feeder inlays the strand when the feeder arm is in the extended position, and the strand is absent from the knitted component when the feeder arm is in the retracted position.
201 Citations
39 Claims
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1. An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the upper including a knitted component comprising:
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a first yarn and a second yarn that are knitted together to form an area of the knitted component corresponding to at least one of a medial side and a lateral side of the upper, the first yarn being at least partially formed from a thermoplastic polymer material, and the second yarn being entirely formed from at least one of a thermoset polymer material and natural fibers; an inlaid strand extending continuously through at least two courses formed by the first yarn and the second yarn of said area of the knitted component on the at least one of the medial side and the lateral side of the upper; the at least one of the medial side and the lateral side of the upper including a plurality of apertures for receiving a lace, the plurality of apertures being disposed in a throat area of the upper, and the inlaid strand extending through said at least two courses further extending around at least two apertures of the plurality of apertures within the knitted component; and wherein the inlaid strand and the first yarn are fused to each other by the thermoplastic polymer material forming the first yarn. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the upper including a knitted component comprising:
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a fusible yarn and a non-fusible yarn that are knitted together to form a plurality of intermeshed loops defining courses and wales that form the knitted component, the knitted component being disposed on at least one of a medial side and a lateral side of the upper, the fusible yarn being at least partially formed from a thermoplastic polymer material; the knitted component extending from a throat area of the upper to a lower area of the upper adjacent to the sole structure, the throat area of the upper includinq a plurality of apertures for receivinq a lace; an inlaid strand extending along at least two of the courses; wherein the inlaid strand extends continuously between a first course and a second course within the knitted component; and wherein the inlaid strand further extends around at least two of the plurality of apertures in the throat area of the upper while disposed within courses of the knitted component. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the upper comprising:
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a knit element defining a portion of an exterior surface of the upper and an opposite interior surface of the upper, the interior surface defining a void for receiving a foot, the knit element extending from a throat area of the upper to a lower area of the upper adjacent to the sole structure on at least one of a medial side and a lateral side of the upper, and the knit element defining a plurality of apertures located within the throat area; an inlaid strand extending through courses forming the knit element from the throat area to the lower area, the inlaid strand extending at least partially around the apertures in the throat area, and the inlaid strand being located between the exterior surface and the interior surface of the knit element in the throat area of the upper; wherein the inlaid strand extends at least partially around two or more apertures in the throat area of the upper while remaining between the exterior surface and the interior surface of the knit element; and a lace extending through the apertures. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the upper comprising:
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a knit element forming a portion of an exterior surface of the upper and an opposite interior surface of the upper, the interior surface defining a void for receiving a foot, the knit element extending from a throat area of the upper to a lower area of the upper adjacent to the sole structure, the throat area of the upper including a plurality of apertures for receiving a lace; and an inlaid strand extending through a plurality of courses of yarns forming the knit element from the throat area to the lower area between the exterior surface and the interior surface along at least one of a medial side and a lateral side of the upper, the inlaid strand extending at least partially around two or more of the plurality of apertures in the throat area while being located within the knit element between the exterior surface and the interior surface of the knit element in the throat area of the upper; wherein a portion of the knit element forming the exterior surface exposes multiple sections of the inlaid strand in an area between the throat area and the lower area of the upper, and a portion of the knit element forming the interior surface covers substantially all of the inlaid strand between the throat area and the lower area of the upper; and wherein the inlaid strand extends continuously between a first course and a second course of the knit element between the exterior surface and the interior surface. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the upper comprising:
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a knit element including at least one yarn that forms a plurality of intermeshed loops, the knit element defining a portion of an exterior surface of the upper and an opposite interior surface of the upper along at least one of a medial side and a lateral side of the upper, the interior surface defining a void for receiving a foot, the knit element having a configuration of a single textile layer that forms a portion of the exterior surface and the interior surface; a plurality of apertures disposed in the knit element at a throat area of the upper, the plurality of apertures configured for receiving a lace; an inlaid strand extending through the plurality of intermeshed loops of the knit element and located within the single textile layer between the exterior surface and the interior surface of the knit element; wherein the plurality of intermeshed loops form a plurality of courses of the knit element and the inlaid strand extends continuously between at least two courses of the knit element; and wherein the inlaid strand extends at least partially around two or more of the plurality of apertures in the throat area of the upper while remaining between the exterior surface and the interior surface of the knit element. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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Specification