Article of footwear incorporating a knitted component

• US 9,681,704 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2014
• Issued: 06/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Williams, Jr., Robert C., Shaffer, Benjamin A., Toraya, Erin E., Podhajny, Daniel A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Prange, Sharon M
• Application Number:
  US14/271,733
• Publication Number:
  US 20140237856A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,140 Days
• Field of Search: 36 45, 36 47, 36 48, 36 49, 36 501
• 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 23/0245 characterised by the constructive form
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/025 assembled by stitching
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0265 having different properties in different directions
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/042 Uppers made of one piece one piece slippers A43B3/106; one piece sandals A43B3/124
• CPC Class Codes: A43C 5/00 Eyelets machines for setting eyelets A43D100/00
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/102 with stitch pattern D04B1/06, D04B1/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/106 at a selvedge, e.g. hems or turned welts
• 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 1/18 elastic threads
• 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 may have an upper with a knitted component. Alone or in combination, the knitted component may include regions with different degrees of stretch-resistance; the knitted component forms a collar with a half-gauge knit; the upper includes a strand with sections that are inlaid within the knitted component, and the sections are positioned immediately adjacent to each other; the strand forms a plurality of loops, pairs of the loops are positioned immediately adjacent to each other and configured to receive a lace; and the knitted component includes a thermoplastic polymer material, and the strand is unbonded to the thermoplastic polymer material.

Claims

1. An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the upper including a knitted component that is formed of unitary knit construction, the knitted component comprising:

a first region forming a collar of the upper, the collar having a first stretch-resistance, the collar defining a tubular structure with an opening to a void within the upper for receiving a foot, the tubular structure configured to continuously encircle a wearer;

a second region extending outward from the first region and located at least partially in a throat area of the upper, the second region having a second stretch-resistance; and

a third region at least partially defining a medial side and a lateral side of the upper, the third region extending at least partially around the second region including extending at least partially around the throat area and having a third stretch-resistance,

the second region formed of unitary knit construction with third region such that the upper extends continuously from the medial side, across the second region, to the lateral side;

the first stretch-resistance being less than the second stretch-resistance, and the second stretch-resistance being less than the third stretch-resistance;

wherein the knitted component further includes a tunnel having a length, and a strand having a first section disposed within and extending the length of the tunnel, a second section, and a third section disposed within and extending the length of the tunnel, where the second section extends continuously between the first and third sections, is located outside the tunnel and exterior of the knitted component, and forms a lace loop that is configured to receive a lace, wherein the strand extends through the third region, and wherein the strand forms a plurality of lace loops, and a pair of the lace loops positioned immediately adjacent to each other overlap each other so as to form a common aperture that is configured to receive a single pass of a lace, and wherein the pair of the lace loops overlap each other in a direction substantially normal to an outer surface portion of the knitted component that is immediately adjacent to the common aperture.

2. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the first region has a lower-gauge knit structure than the second region.

3. The article of footwear recited in claim 2, wherein the second region has a full-gauge knit structure and the first region has a half-gauge knit structure to provide the first region with less stretch resistance than the second region.

4. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein a yarn in the third region includes a thermoplastic polymer material.

5. The article of footwear recited in claim 4, wherein the thermoplastic polymer material is substantially absent from the first region and the second region.

6. The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the knitted component is a flat knitted component.

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

a knitted component that includes a tunnel having a length; and

a strand having;

a first section disposed within and extending the length of the tunnel of the knitted component,

a second section; and

a third section disposed within and extending the length of the tunnel of the knitted component, the third section being immediately adjacent to the first section within the tunnel, wherein the tunnel including the first and third sections of the strand are positioned between opposite, substantially parallel surfaces of the knitted component that define a single layer of the knitted component;

the second section extending continuously between the first section and the third section, the second section being located outside the tunnel and exterior of the knitted component, the second section forming a lace loop that is configured to receive a lace, wherein the strand forms a plurality of lace loops, and a pair of the lace loops positioned immediately adjacent to each other overlap each other so as to form a common aperture that is configured to receive a single pass of the lace, and wherein the pair of the lace loops overlap each other in a direction substantially normal to an outer surface portion of the knitted component that is immediately adjacent to the common aperture.

8. The article of footwear recited in claim 7, wherein the first section and the third section are located within two millimeters of each other.

9. The article of footwear recited in claim 7, wherein the first section and the second section extend between a throat area and a lower area of the upper.

10. The article of footwear recited in claim 7, wherein the strand forms a plurality of additional lace loops located on opposite sides of the upper.

11. The article of footwear recited in claim 7, wherein the strand has a greater stretch-resistance than the knitted component.

12. The article of footwear recited in claim 7, wherein the knitted component includes a thermoplastic polymer material, and the strand is unbonded with the thermoplastic polymer material.

13. The article of footwear recited in claim 7, wherein the knitted component has (a) a collar region that forms a collar, (b) a central region that extends outward from the collar region, and (c) a peripheral region that extends at least partially around the central region, the collar region, the central region, and the peripheral region being formed of unitary knit construction, and the first section and the third section of the strand being disposed within the peripheral region.

14. The article of footwear recited in claim 13, wherein a yarn in the peripheral region includes a thermoplastic polymer material, and the thermoplastic polymer material is substantially absent from the collar region and the central region.

15. The article of footwear recited in claim 7, wherein the knitted component is a flat knitted component.

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

a knitted component that includes a first tunnel and a second tunnel; and

at least one strand that is inlaid within the knitted component, the at least one strand including;

a first section received within the first tunnel,

a second section received within the first tunnel,

a third section received within the second tunnel,

a fourth section received within the second tunnel,

a first loop extending continuously between the first section and the second section of the at least one strand, the first loop being located exterior of the knitted component, and

a second loop extending continuously between the third section and the fourth section of the at least one strand, the second loop being located exterior of the knitted component;

the first loop and the second loop being positioned immediately adjacent to each other and configured to receive a single pass of the lace.

17. The article of footwear recited in claim 16, wherein the first loop and the second loop are in an overlapping configuration.

18. The article of footwear recited in claim 16, wherein the first loop and the second loop are aligned to form an aperture.

19. The article of footwear recited in claim 16, wherein the first loop and the second loop are located on one side of the upper, and

wherein the at least one strand further comprises a third loop and a fourth loop that are located on another side of the upper, the lace extending across the upper and through each of the first loop, the second loop, the third loop, and the fourth loop.

20. The article of footwear recited in claim 16, wherein the at least one strand has a greater stretch-resistance than the knitted component.

21. The article of footwear recited in claim 16, wherein the knitted component includes a thermoplastic polymer material, and the at least one strand is unbonded with the thermoplastic polymer material.

22. The article of footwear recited in claim 16, wherein the knitted component has (a) a collar region that forms a collar, (b) a central region that extends outward from the collar region, and (c) a peripheral region that extends at least partially around the central region, the collar region, the central region, and the peripheral region being formed of unitary knit construction.

23. The article of footwear recited in claim 22, wherein a yarn in the peripheral region includes a thermoplastic polymer material, and the thermoplastic polymer material is substantially absent from the collar region and the central region.

24. The article of footwear recited in claim 22, wherein the collar region is formed as a half-gauge knit, and the central region and the peripheral region are formed as a full-gauge knit.

25. The article of footwear recited in claim 16, wherein the knitted component is a flat knitted component.