Article of footwear having a textile upper

• US 9,924,759 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2017
• Issued: 03/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Nike, Inc.
• Inventors: Dua, Bhupesh, Thomas, Edward Nathaniel
• Primary Examiner(s): BAYS, MARIE D
• Application Number:
  US15/664,623
• Publication Number:
  US 20170325536A1
• Time in Patent Office: 239 Days
• 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 23/021 Leather
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0215 Plastics or artificial leather
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0235 Different layers of different material
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/026 Laminated layers
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0265 having different properties in different directions
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0275 with a part of the upper particularly rigid, e.g. resisting articulation or torsion
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/028 Resilient uppers, e.g. shock absorbing
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/04 Uppers made of one piece; Uppers with inserted gussets
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/042 Uppers made of one piece one piece slippers A43B3/106; one piece sandals A43B3/124
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/08 Heel stiffeners; Toe stiffeners
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/085 in the upper
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/14 with foot-supporting parts
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 7/1495 with arch-supports of the bracelet type
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 9/02 Footwear stitched or nailed through
• CPC Class Codes: A43D 111/00 Shoe machines with conveyors for jacked shoes or for shoes or shoe parts
• 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: A43D 8/02 Cutting-out cutting in general B26D, B26F; of leather articles in general C14B5/00
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/102 with stitch pattern D04B1/06, D04B1/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 1/24 : wearing apparel
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 21/20 : specially adapted for knitting articles of particular configuration
• CPC Class Codes: D04B 21/207 : Wearing apparel or garment blanks
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2501/043 : Footwear

Abstract

An article of footwear and a method of manufacturing the article of footwear are disclosed. The footwear may include an upper and a sole structure. The upper incorporates a textile element with edges that are joined together to define at least a portion of a void for receiving a foot. The textile element may comprise one or more of an inner layer, outer layer, or intermediate layer of the upper. Various warp or weft knitting processes, including circular knitting, may be utilized to form the textile element.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing an upper for an article of footwear, the method comprising:

mechanically manipulating a yarn with a circular knitting machine to form a circular-knitted textile structure having a diameter within a range of approximately ten inches to twenty inches;

removing at least a circular-knitted textile element from the circular-knitted textile structure; and

incorporating the circular-knitted textile element into the upper.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein mechanically manipulating the yarn with the circular knitting machine to form the circular-knitted textile structure comprises simultaneously knitting the circular-knitted textile element and the circular-knitted textile structure surrounding the circular-knitted textile.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein simultaneously knitting the circular-knitted textile element comprises knitting an outline for the circular-knitted textile element.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein mechanically manipulating the yarn with the circular knitting machine to form the circular-knitted textile structure comprises knitting two circular-knitted textile elements.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the diameter is within a range of approximately ten inches to sixteen inches.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the circular-knitted textile element has longitudinal edges formed when the circular-knitted textile element is removed from the circular-knitted textile structure.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein incorporating the circular-knitted textile element into the upper comprises joining together the longitudinal edges to define at least a portion of a void for receiving a foot.

8. A method for manufacturing an upper for an article of footwear, the method comprising:

mechanically manipulating a yarn with a circular knitting machine to form a circular-knitted textile structure having a diameter within a range of approximately ten inches to sixteen inches;

removing at least a circular-knitted textile element from the circular-knitted textile structure; and

incorporating the circular-knitted textile element into the upper.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein mechanically manipulating the yarn with the circular knitting machine to form the circular-knitted textile structure comprises simultaneously knitting the circular-knitted textile element and the circular-knitted textile structure surrounding the circular-knitted textile.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein simultaneously knitting the circular-knitted textile element comprises knitting an outline for the circular-knitted textile element.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein mechanically manipulating the yarn with the circular knitting machine to form the circular-knitted textile structure comprises knitting two circular-knitted textile elements.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the circular-knitted textile element has a substantially planar configuration upon removal from the circular-knitted textile structure.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the circular knitted textile element has longitudinal edges formed when the circular knitted textile element is removed from the circular-knitted textile structure.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein incorporating the circular-knitted textile element into the upper comprises joining together the longitudinal edges to define at least a portion of a void for receiving a foot.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein the circular knitting machine used to form the circular-knitted textile structure is a jacquard double needle-bar raschel knitting machine.