Article of footwear incorporating a knitted component

• US 8,898,932 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2014
• Issued: 12/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Woodman, Phil, Wilken, Doug D., Minami, Tetsuya T., Molyneux, James
• Primary Examiner(s): BAYS, MARIE D
• Application Number:
  US14/273,574
• Publication Number:
  US 20140245635A1
• Time in Patent Office: 207 Days
• Field of Search: 36/501, 36/9.R, 36/54, 36/51
• US Class Current: 36/50.1
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/04 braided, knotted, knitted or crocheted
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/00 Uppers; Boot legs; Stiffeners; Other single parts of footwear
• 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 23/0235 Different layers of different material
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0245 characterised by the constructive form
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0255 assembled by gluing or thermo bonding
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/026 Laminated layers
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0275 with a part of the upper particularly rigid, e.g. resisting articulation or torsion
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/07 Linings therefor lining laminated with upper A43B23/026
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/088 Heel stiffeners A43B23/10, A43B23/14, A43B23/16, A43B23/17 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/26 Tongues for shoes
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 5/06 Running shoes; Track shoes
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/12 Special watertight footwear overshoes A43B3/16
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/20 Ankle-joint supports or holders
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 11/20 Fastenings with tightening devices mounted on the tongue
• 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: B29C 65/02 by heating, with or without pressure
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/123 with laid-in unlooped yarn, e.g. fleece fabrics with elastic weft yarn D04B1/18
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/22 specially adapted for knitting goods of particular configuration
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2403/0112 One smooth surface, e.g. laminated or coated
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2403/0243 : enhancing functional properties
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2403/032 : Flat fabric of variable width, e.g. including one or more fashioned panels
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2501/043 : Footwear

Abstract

An article of footwear has an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper. The upper includes a knitted component and, in some configurations, a skin layer secured to the knitted component. The knitted component may have a plurality of protruding areas that extend outward and away from a void within the upper for receiving a foot of a wearer. The protruding areas may include one or both of (a) a first tubular structure and an inlaid strand extending through the first tubular structure and (b) a second tubular structure and yarn sections extending across the second tubular structure.

Claims

1. An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the upper comprising:

a foot region for covering at least a portion of a foot of a wearer, the foot region including a foot part of a knitted component, the foot region having a first degree of stretch, wherein the foot part of the knitted component defines a plurality of protruding areas that extend outward and away from a void within the upper for receiving the foot of the wearer, wherein the protruding areas include a first tubular structure and a second tubular structure;

an ankle region for covering at least a portion of an ankle of the wearer, the ankle region including an ankle part of the knitted component, and the ankle region having a second degree of stretch;

an inlaid strand extending through the first tubular structure;

a plurality of yarn sections extending across the second tubular structure;

a skin layer that covers the first tubular structure and the second tubular structure of the foot part of the knitted component;

the foot part of the knitted component and the ankle part of the knitted component being formed from unitary knit construction, and the first degree of stretch being less than the second degree of stretch.

2. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the skin layer covers additional portions of the foot part of the knitted component and forms a portion of an exterior surface of the upper.

3. The article of footwear recited in claim 2, wherein the skin layer is absent from the ankle part of the knitted component.

4. The article of footwear recited in claim 3, wherein the ankle part of the knitted component forms (a) another portion of the exterior surface of the upper and (b) a portion of an interior surface of the upper.

5. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the ankle part of the knitted component has a continuous structure for extending entirely around the ankle of the wearer.

6. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the skin layer is thermally bonded to the knitted component.

7. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the inlaid strand extends from a throat area of the upper to an area where the upper is secured to the sole structure.

8. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the skin layer is a continuous layer that covers an entirety of the foot portion of the foot part, and wherein the skin layer is absent from the ankle part of the knitted component.

9. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the upper includes a medial side, a lateral side, and a forefoot region;

wherein the skin layer is absent from the ankle part of the knitted component; and

wherein the foot part is entirely covered by the skin layer on the medial side, the lateral side, and the forefoot region.

10. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of yarn sections extending across the second tubular structure form tuck stitches.

11. An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the upper comprising:

a knitted component that includes (a) a foot part for covering at least a portion of a foot of a wearer and (b) an ankle part for covering at least a portion of an ankle of the wearer, the foot part and the ankle part being formed of unitary knit construction; and

a skin layer that is thermally bonded to the knitted component, the skin layer covering at least a portion of the foot part of the knitted component and forming a portion of an exterior surface of the upper, the skin layer being absent from the ankle part of the knitted component.

12. The article of footwear recited in claim 11, wherein the foot part of the knitted component is in a foot region of the upper and the ankle part of the knitted component is in an ankle region of the upper, the foot region having less stretch than the ankle region.

13. The article of footwear recited in claim 11, wherein the ankle part of the knitted component forms (a) another portion of the exterior surface of the upper and (b) a portion of an interior surface of the upper.

14. The article of footwear recited in claim 11, wherein the ankle part of the knitted component has a continuous structure for extending entirely around the ankle of the wearer.

15. The article of footwear recited in claim 11, wherein the foot part of the knitted component defines a plurality of protruding areas that extend outward and away from a void within the upper for receiving the foot of the wearer.

16. The article of footwear recited in claim 15, wherein the protruding areas include a tubular structure and an inlaid strand extending through the tubular structure.

17. The article of footwear recited in claim 15, wherein the protruding areas include a tubular structure and yarn sections extending across the tubular structure.

18. The article of footwear recited in claim 17, wherein the yarn sections extending across the second tubular structure form tuck stitches.

19. The article of footwear recited in claim 15, wherein the protruding areas include (a) a first tubular structure and an inlaid strand extending through the first tubular structure and (b) a second tubular structure and yarn sections extending across the second tubular structure.

20. The article of footwear recited in claim 19, wherein the first tubular structure and the second tubular structure extend from a throat area of the upper to an area where the sole structure is secured to the upper.