Article of footwear incorporating a knitted component

• US 9,622,536 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2014
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• 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:
  US14/522,265
• Publication Number:
  US 20150040431A1
• Time in Patent Office: 908 Days
• Field of Search: 36 45, 36 9 R
• 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, the upper comprising:

a knitted component with a foot part and an ankle part, the foot part configured to cover a portion of a foot of a wearer, the ankle part configured to cover a portion of an ankle of the wearer; and

a skin layer that is attached to the foot part of the knitted component and that is absent from the ankle part such that the ankle part has greater elasticity than areas of the foot part that are attached to the skin layer;

wherein the ankle part is annular and extends continuously between a medial side and a lateral side of the upper;

wherein the skin layer includes an edge that is proximate the ankle part; and

wherein the skin layer extends continuously in a horizontal direction from the medial side, across a forefoot region, to the lateral side of the upper;

wherein the skin layer comprises first and second sections;

wherein the second section of the skin layer comprises different properties than the first section; and

wherein the property of the first section is water-resistance.

2. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the foot part and the ankle part are formed of unitary knit construction.

3. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the upper includes a seam that joins two opposing edges of the knitted component;

wherein the seam extends in the vertical region along a heel region of the upper; and

wherein the skin layer has a first end proximate one of the two opposing edges;

wherein the skin layer has a second end proximate the other of the two opposing edges; and

wherein the skin layer extends across the knitted component substantially continuously from the first end to the second end.

4. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the skin layer extends continuously in a vertical direction from the edge to a sole structure.

5. The article of footwear recited in claim 4, wherein the edge is concave and extends downward toward the sole structure on at least one of the medial side and the lateral side.

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

7. The article of footwear recited in claim 6, 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.

8. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, 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.

9. The article of footwear recited in claim 8, wherein the protruding areas include:

a first tubular structure with an inlaid strand extending through the first tubular structure; and

a second tubular structure with yarn sections extending across the second tubular structure.

10. The article of footwear recited in claim 9, wherein the yarn sections extending across the second tubular structure form tuck stitches.

11. The article of footwear recited in claim 8, wherein the skin layer covers the protruding areas.

12. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the foot part of the knitted component is at least partially knit with a first yarn that imparts a first elasticity to the foot part;

wherein the ankle part of the knitted component is at least partially knit with a second yarn that imparts a second elasticity to the ankle part; and

wherein the second elasticity is greater than the first elasticity.

13. The article of footwear recited in footwear of claim 1, wherein upper includes a throat area between the medial and lateral sides;

wherein the knitted component defines the throat area and at least partially defines the medial and lateral sides;

wherein the knitted component extends continuously from the medial side, across the throat area, to the lateral side; and

wherein the skin layer is absent from the throat area.

14. An article of footwear having an upper, the upper including a medial side, a lateral side, a forefoot region, a heel region, and a throat area disposed between the medial and lateral sides, the upper comprising:

a knitted component with a foot part and an ankle part, the foot part and the ankle part formed of unitary knit construction, the foot part configured to cover a portion of a foot of a wearer, the ankle part configured to cover a portion of an ankle of the wearer; and

a skin layer that is attached to the foot part of the knitted component;

wherein the foot part extends continuously from the medial side, across the throat area, to the lateral side;

wherein the ankle part is annular and is configured to continuously encircle the ankle of the wearer;

wherein the skin layer includes an edge that is proximate the ankle part;

wherein the skin layer extends continuously in a horizontal direction from the medial side of the upper, across the forefoot region of the upper, to the lateral side of the upper;

wherein the skin layer is absent from the ankle part such that the ankle part has greater elasticity than areas of the foot part that are attached to the skin layer;

wherein the skin layer is absent from the throat area;

wherein the skin layer comprises first and second sections;

wherein the second section of the skin layer comprises different properties than the first section; and

wherein the property of the first section is water-resistance.

15. The article of footwear recited in claim 14, wherein the upper includes a seam that joins two opposing edges of the knitted component;

wherein the seam extends in the vertical region along the heel region of the upper; and

wherein the skin layer has a first end proximate one of the two opposing edges;

wherein the skin layer has a second end proximate the other of the two opposing edges; and

wherein the skin layer extends across the knitted component substantially continuously from the first end to the second end.

16. The article of footwear recited in claim 14, wherein the skin layer extends continuously in a vertical direction from the edge to a sole structure.

17. The article of footwear recited in claim 14, wherein the skin layer covers at least a portion of the foot part of the knitted component and forms a portion of an exterior surface of the upper.

18. The article of footwear recited in claim 17, 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.

19. The article of footwear recited in claim 14, 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.

20. An article of footwear having an 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; 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;

wherein the skin layer comprises first and second sections;

wherein the second section of the skin layer comprises different properties than the first section; and

wherein the property of the first section comprises wear-resistance.