Article of footwear including knitting a knitted component of warp knit construction forming a seamless bootie

• US 9,907,349 B2
• Filed: 05/30/2014
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Huffman, Julie A., Lyttle, Amy, Bell, Thomas G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Worrell, Danny
• Application Number:
  US14/292,050
• Publication Number:
  US 20150342284A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,376 Days
• Field of Search: 66170, 66185, 66195, 36 47, 36 45, 36102, 36 3 R
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 1/04 braided, knotted, knitted or crocheted
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0245 characterised by the constructive form
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/042 Uppers made of one piece one piece slippers A43B3/106; one piece sandals A43B3/124
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 21/207 Wearing apparel or garment blanks
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2501/043 Footwear

Abstract

An article of footwear incorporates a seamless bootie or textile upper formed from a knitted component removed from a knitted textile element of unitary warp knit construction. The knitted component may include a first knitted component portion in the form of a seamless bootie and a second knitted component portion associated with the first knitted component portion. In some embodiments the second knitted component portion may be tucked-in or folded into a pocket of first knitted component portion, such as a knitted dynamic fit component portion or a knitted tongue component portion. In some embodiments the second knitted component portion may be wrapped around at least part of the first knitted component portion.

Claims

1. An article of footwear, comprising:

a knitted component of warp knit construction, the knitted component comprising;

a first knit layer that forms one of a medial side and a lateral side of a seamless bootie, the first knit layer comprising opposite facing surfaces corresponding to an exterior side and an interior side of the seamless bootie;

a second knit layer that forms the other one of the medial side and the lateral side of the seamless bootie, the second knit layer comprising opposite facing surfaces corresponding to the exterior side and the interior side of the seamless bootie, the second knit layer being continuous with the first knit layer across a continuous upper forefoot portion of the seamless bootie;

an interlayer knit stitch line that interconnects the first knit layer and the second knit layer by interlooping at least one yarn of the first knit layer with at least one yarn of the second knit layer at an interface between one of the surfaces of the first knit layer and one of the surfaces of the second knit layer, the interlayer knit stitch line seamlessly connecting the medial side and the lateral side of the seamless bootie and extending generally along a central line of a heel portion, a bottom portion, and a front toe portion of the seamless bootie; and

at least one knitted indicating portion collectively indicating at least one separating line of the knitted component configured to define an opening in the knitted component that provides access to a void between the first knit layer and the second knit layer, the opening being located between the continuous upper forefoot portion and the heel portion of the seamless bootie.

2. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the interlayer knit stitch line includes a sequence of local interlayer knit stitches formed between at least one yarn of the first knit layer and at least one yarn of the second knit layer at a common local knit stitch.

3. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the at least one knitted indicating portion includes at least one knitted indicating portion collectively defining a closure structure of the opening.

4. The article of footwear according to claim 3, wherein the closure structure defines a V-shaped portion of the opening adjacent the continuous upper forefoot portion.

5. The article of footwear according to claim 3, wherein the closure structure includes a plurality of closure holes associated with the closure structure.

6. The article of footwear according to claim 3, wherein a first knitted portion of the first knit layer and a corresponding first knitted portion of the second knit layer are knitted of a first knit stitch having a first stretch characteristic, and a second knitted portion of the first knit layer and a corresponding second knitted portion of the second knit layer are knitted of a second knit stitch having a second stretch characteristic having more stretch than the first stretch characteristic.

7. The article of footwear according to claim 6, wherein the first knitted portion of the first knit layer and the first knitted portion of the second knit layer collectively form a central base portion of the seamless bootie, and the second knitted portion of the first knit layer and the corresponding second knitted portion of the second knit layer collectively form a common zone at a perimeter portion of the central base portion.

8. The article of footwear according to claim 7, wherein the common zone is a stretch zone.

9. The article of footwear according to claim 1, further comprising a sole structure associated with the knitted component.

10. The article of footwear according to claim 9, wherein the sole structure includes a toe portion that covers at least a portion of the interlayer knit stitch line at the front toe portion of the knitted component.