KNITTED COMPONENT WITH CONTAINMENT

TECHNICAL FIELD

Aspects herein relate to knitted components and methods of manufacturing knitted components for use in articles, such as articles of footwear.

BACKGROUND

A variety of articles, including footwear, are formed from textiles, which are often formed by weaving or looping (e.g., knitting) a yarn or plurality of yarns, usually through a mechanical process. In particular, an upper for an article of footwear may be formed of a knit textile. An upper typically forms a void within the article of footwear for comfortably and securely receiving a foot and is often secured to a sole structure.

Knitting generally includes one or more yarns being manipulated to form a plurality of intermeshed loops that define a variety of courses and wales. In weft knitting in particular, the courses and wales are perpendicular to each other and may be formed from a single yarn or multiple yarns. While knitting may be performed by hand, commercial manufacture of knit textiles is generally performed by knitting machines. Various knit structures may be achieved using the knitting machine.

SUMMARY

The following clauses represent example aspects of concepts contemplated herein. Any one of the following clauses may be combined in a multiple dependent manner to depend from one or more other clauses. Further, any combination of dependent clauses (clauses that explicitly depend from a previous clause) may be combined while staying within the scope of aspects contemplated herein. The following clauses are illustrative in nature and are not limiting.

Clause 1: An article of footwear comprising: an upper including a knitted component forming at least a medial side of the upper, a containment piece overlapping a portion of the upper, the containment piece having a first edge and a second edge opposite the first edge, and a sole structure comprising a slit, wherein the containment piece is secured to the knitted component proximate the first edge of the containment piece, and wherein a portion of the containment piece proximate the second edge of the containment piece is inserted through the slit of the sole structure.

Clause 2: The article of footwear of clause 1, wherein the containment piece overlaps a portion of the medial side of the upper.

Clause 3: The article of footwear of clause 2, further comprising a second containment piece overlapping a portion of the lateral side of the upper.

Clause 4: The article of footwear of clause 1, wherein the containment piece overlaps a portion of the lateral side of the upper.

Clause 5: The article of footwear of clauses 1 through 4, wherein the containment piece comprises a tapered shape such that the first edge of the containment piece is longer than the second edge of the containment piece.

Clause 6: The article of footwear of any one of clauses 1 through 5, wherein the knitted component comprises a continuous inlaid tensile strand forming a plurality of lacing loops.

Clause 7: The article of footwear of any one of clauses 1 through 5, wherein the containment piece also includes the inlaid tensile strand forming at least one containment piece lacing loop, wherein the first edge of the containment piece is secured to a throat area of the article of footwear by the at least one containment piece lacing loop.

Clause 8: The article of footwear of any one of clauses 1 through 7, wherein the knitted component comprises a first yarn, and wherein the containment piece comprises a second yarn that is a different material than the first yarn.

Clause 9: The article of footwear of clause 8, wherein the knitted component comprises an inlaid tensile strand forming a plurality of lacing loops, wherein a first tensile strength of the inlaid tensile strand is greater than a second tensile strength of the second yarn, and wherein the second tensile strength of the second yarn is greater than a third tensile strength of the first yarn.

Clause 10: The article of footwear of any one of clauses 1 through 8, wherein the second edge of the knit containment piece is further secured to the sole structure by one or more of: adhesive bonding, fusing, and stitching.

Clause 11: The article of footwear of any one of clauses 1 through 10, wherein the knit containment piece is configured to align with an arch of a foot of a wearer when the article of footwear is worn by the wearer.

Clause 12: The article of footwear of any one of clauses 1 through 11, wherein the knit containment piece is unsecured to the upper between the first edge and the second edge of the knit containment piece.

Clause 13: An article of footwear, comprising: an upper including a knitted component forming at least a medial side of the upper, a textile containment piece overlapping a portion of the knitted component, the textile containment piece having a first edge and a second edge that is opposite the first edge, and a sole structure, wherein the second edge of the textile containment piece is secured to the sole structure.

Clause 14: The article of footwear of clause 13, wherein the textile containment piece overlaps a portion of the medial side of the knitted component.

Clause 15: The article of footwear of clause 14, further comprising a second textile containment piece overlapping a lateral side of the knitted component.

Clause 16: The article of footwear of clause 13, wherein the textile containment piece overlaps a portion of the lateral side of the knitted component.

Clause 17: The article of footwear of any one of clauses 13 through 16, wherein the second edge of the textile containment piece extends through a slit of the sole structure.

Clause 18: The article of footwear of any one of clauses 13 through 17, wherein the knitted component of the upper comprises a first inlaid tensile strand forming a plurality of lacing loops.

Clause 19: The article of footwear of any one of clauses 13 through 18, wherein the textile containment piece comprises a second inlaid tensile strand forming at least one containment piece lacing loop, and wherein the textile containment piece is secured proximate to a throat area of the article of footwear with the at least one containment piece lacing loop.

Clause 20: The article of footwear of any one of clauses 13 through 19, wherein the textile containment piece is a knit containment piece.

Clause 21: The article of footwear of any one of clauses 13 through 20, wherein the second edge of the textile containment piece is further secured to the sole structure by one or more of: adhesive bonding, fusing, and stitching.

Clause 22: The article of footwear of any one of clauses 13 through 21, wherein the textile containment piece is configured to align with an arch of a foot of a wearer when the article of footwear is worn by the wearer.

Clause 23: The article of footwear of any one of clauses 13 through 22, wherein the textile containment piece is unsecured to the upper between the first edge and the second edge of the textile containment piece.

Clause 24: A method for manufacturing an article of footwear, comprising: knitting a knitted component for an upper having a medial side, knitting a containment piece, the containment piece having a first edge and a second edge opposite the first edge, inserting the second edge of the containment piece through a slit of a sole structure and securing the containment piece to the sole structure, and securing the sole structure to the upper.

Clause 25: The method of clause 24, wherein the containment piece comprises a tapered shape such that the second edge of the containment piece is shorter than the first edge of the containment piece.

Clause 26: The method of any one of clauses 24 and 25, wherein the containment piece is unsecured to the upper between the first edge and the second edge of the containment piece.

Clause 27: The method of any one of clauses 24 through 26, wherein the knitted component of the upper comprises a first yarn, and wherein the containment piece comprises a second yarn that has a different material than the first yarn.

Clause 28: The method of any one of clauses 24 through 27, wherein the containment piece comprises at least one containment piece lacing loop proximate the first edge of the containment piece.

Clause 29: The method of any one of clauses 24 through 27, wherein the knitted component includes a first inlaid tensile strand forming one or more lace loops of the knitted component, wherein the containment piece includes a second inlaid tensile strand forming one or more containment piece lacing loops, wherein a lace is threaded through the one or more lace loops of the knitted component and the one or more containment piece lacing loops.

Clause 30: The method of clause 29, wherein a first tensile strength of the inlaid tensile strand is greater than a second tensile strength of a first yarn forming the knitted component and a third tensile strength of a second yarn forming the containment piece.

Clause 31: The method of clause 30, wherein the third tensile strength of the second yarn forming the containment piece is greater than the second tensile strength of the first yarn.

Clause 32: An article of footwear comprising: a upper including a knitted component forming a medial side and/or a lateral side of the upper; a sole structure; and at least one containment piece secured to the sole structure and wrapping over at least a portion of the sole structure and at least a portion of the knitted component.

Clause 33. The article of footwear of clause 32, wherein the at least one containment piece overlaps at least a portion of the medial side of the upper.

Clause 34. The article of footwear of clause 33, further comprising a second containment piece overlapping at least a portion of the lateral side of the upper.

Clause 35. The article of footwear of clause 32, wherein the at least one containment piece overlaps at least a portion of the lateral side of the upper.

Clause 36. The article of footwear of any one of clauses 32 through 35, wherein the at least one containment piece comprises a tapered shape such that a first edge of the containment piece is longer than a second edge of the containment piece that is located opposite to the first edge.

Clause 37. The article of footwear of clause 36, wherein the at least one containment piece is secured to the sole structure proximate the second edge of the at least one containment piece.

Clause 38. The article of footwear of clause 36, wherein the at least one containment piece is secured to the sole structure proximate the first edge of the at least one containment piece.

Clause 39. The article of footwear of any one of clauses 32 through 38, wherein the at least one containment piece is secured to the knitted component includes an inlaid tensile strand forming at least one containment piece lacing loop, and wherein the at least one containment piece is secured to a throat area of the article of footwear by the at least one containment piece lacing loop.

Clause 40. The article of footwear of clause 32, wherein the at least one containment piece includes a first edge and a second edge that is positioned superior to the first edge, and wherein the at least one containment piece is unsecured to the upper between the first edge and the second edge of the containment piece.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

This technology is described in detail herein with reference to the attached drawing figures, which are incorporated herein by reference, wherein:

FIG. 1A depicts a perspective view of an article of footwear having a knitted component with a containment piece in an engaged configuration, in accordance with aspects herein;

FIG. 1B depicts a perspective view of the article of footwear of FIG. 1A with the containment piece in a disengaged configuration, in accordance with aspects herein;

FIG. 1C depicts a perspective view of the article of footwear of FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B with the containment piece in a loosened configuration, in accordance with aspects herein;

FIG. 2 depicts a deconstructed view of the article of footwear of FIG. 1A, in accordance with aspect herein;

FIG. 3 depicts a cut-off perspective view of the article of footwear shown in FIG. 1A, in accordance with aspects herein;

FIG. 4 depicts an exemplary containment piece, in accordance with aspects herein;

FIG. 5 depicts another exemplary containment piece, in accordance with aspects herein; and

FIG. 6 depicts a flow diagram of an example method of forming an article of footwear having a knitted component and a containment piece, in accordance with aspects herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The subject matter of the present invention is described with specificity herein to meet statutory requirements. However, the description itself is not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Rather, the inventors have contemplated that the claimed or disclosed subject matter might also be embodied in other ways, to include different steps or combinations of steps similar to the ones described in this document, in conjunction with other present or future technologies. Moreover, although the terms “step” and/or “block” might be used herein to identify different elements of methods employed, the terms should not be interpreted as implying any particular order among or between various steps herein disclosed unless and except when the order of individual steps is explicitly stated.

A variety of articles are formed from textiles. For example, articles of apparel (e.g., shirts, pants, socks, footwear, jackets, and other outerwear, briefs and other undergarments, hats and other headwear), containers (e.g., backpacks, bags), and upholstery for furniture (e.g., chairs, couches, car seats) are often at least partially formed from textiles. These textiles are often formed by weaving or knitting a yarn or plurality of yarns, usually through a mechanical process. One particular object that may be formed from a textile, such as a knit textile, is an upper for an article of footwear. An upper typically forms a void within the article of footwear for comfortably and securely receiving a foot and is often secured to a sole structure. In accordance with aspects described herein, a sole structure may in some instances encompass a midsole and an outsole as two separate components, a midsole and an outsole formed as a single component, a separate midsole, or a separate outsole. Uppers formed by knitted textiles may be breathable, lightweight, and flexible. However, traditional knitted uppers may lack structure provided by uppers formed of other types of materials. As result, a wearer's foot may not be fully supported and may over pronate.

At a high level, various aspects of this disclosure are directed to articles of footwear having a knitted component forming at least a portion of the upper and a containment piece provided on the medial side of the article of footwear to provide extra support to a foot of a wearer when the article of footwear is worn by the wearer. Particularly, the containment piece is provided to reduce the risk of pronating (i.e. rolling the foot inward), reduce the risk of twisting the foot, and/or simply provide added arch support to a medial side of the foot of the wearer when the article of footwear is worn. This additional support is particularly desirable for footwear used by, for example, by athletes in sports like basketball, tennis, track, soccer, football, and the like, where sudden changes in direction can cause injuries.

Some aspects of the present disclosure include an article of footwear with a textile containment piece provided on the medial side of the article of footwear to provide increased support to a medial side of a wearer's foot to, for example, aid with pronation/supination. However, although not specifically shown, it is also contemplated that the containment piece may be provided to the lateral side of the wearer's foot, or a pair of containment pieces may be provided on both the medial side and the lateral side of the article of footwear.

The upper of the article of footwear may have a knitted component forming at least a medial side of the upper. The textile containment piece may have one end secured to a sole structure of the article of footwear through a slit provided in the sole structure of the article of footwear. For example, in the instances where the sole structure has the outsole and the midsole formed as two separate components, the slit described herein may be provided at an intersection of the midsole and the outsole (i.e., where the midsole and the outsole abut each other). Alternatively, the slit described herein may be provided, in the midsole or in the outsole. When the sole structure has the midsole and the outsole are formed as a single piece, the slit may be provided at any location that falls between an upper surface of the sole structure, generally coinciding with a foot-bed portion of the article of footwear, and a bottom surface, generally coinciding with a ground-contacting surface of the sole structure. The opposite end of the textile containment piece may further have at least one lacing loop to secure the opposite end to the knitted component proximate a throat area of the article of footwear. Specifically, a lace that may be threaded through the lacing apertures of the textile containment piece as well as threaded through a plurality of lacing apertures of the knitted component.

When the textile containment piece is secured to the sole structure and to the lace that is also secured to the knitted component, the textile containment piece may be positioned over a medial side of the knitted component. Additional support for the medial side of a wearer's foot may be due simply to the addition of another layer (the textile containment piece) on top of the knitted component. Further, in some aspects, the textile containment piece provides additional support by being formed with a yarn of a higher tenacity and/or lower elasticity than yarn forming the medial side of the knitted component. It is contemplated that lacing apertures in the knitted component may be lace loops formed by an inlaid tensile strand. Likewise, the at least one lacing loop of the containment piece may also be formed by an inlaid tensile strand extending through the textile containment piece.

In example aspects, the side edges of the containment piece may be fully detached from the upper and/or knitted component. In other words, when the textile containment piece is secured to the upper by the at least one lacing loop of the textile containment piece and to the sole structure, a tunnel between the textile containment piece and the knitted component may be formed. When the textile containment piece is loosely secured to the knitted component and, therefore, the tunnel is enlarged or when the article of footwear is viewed from certain angles, the exterior-facing surface of medial side of the knitted component may be visible. Consequently, an indicia or symbol provided on the surface of the knitted component on the medial side may become at least partially visible when it would otherwise be concealed by the textile containment piece when the textile containment piece is tightly secured to the knitted component. When the textile containment piece is not secured by the at least one lacing loop to the knitted component, the textile containment piece may peel away from the knitted component to fully reveal any indicia or symbol provided on the medial side of the knitted component. In this way, in addition to providing additional support on the medial side of the wearer's foot, the textile containment piece creates a unique visual effect by enabling selective display of a visual property, such as an indicia or symbol.

Further aspects of the present disclosure include a method of manufacturing an article of footwear comprising a textile containment piece. The method includes knitting a knitted component for an upper and forming a containment piece having a first edge and an opposite second edge. The second edge of the containment piece may be inserted through a slit of a sole structure, securing the containment piece to the sole structure, and the sole structure may then be secured directly to the upper.

As described, certain aspects of the present disclosure relate to articles of footwear or aspects thereof that are at least partially formed from knit textiles. In an illustrative example, aspects are directed to an upper formed at least partially of a knitted component. As used herein, the term “upper” refers to a footwear component that extends over the instep and toe areas of the foot, along the medial and lateral sides of the foot, and around the heel area of the foot to form a void for receiving a wearer's foot. Illustrative, non-limiting examples of uppers may include uppers incorporated into a basketball shoe, a biking shoe, a cross-training shoe, a global football (soccer) shoe, an American football shoe, a bowling shoe, a golf shoe, a hiking shoe, a ski or snowboarding boot, a tennis shoe, a running shoe, and a walking shoe. Further, in other aspects, the upper may also be incorporated into a non-athletic shoe, such as a dress shoe, a loafer, and a sandal. Accordingly, the concepts disclosed with respect to articles of footwear apply to a wide variety of footwear types. Although the figures may illustrate an article of footwear intended for use on only one foot (e.g., a right foot) of a wearer, one skilled in the art will recognize that a corresponding article of footwear for the other foot (e.g., a left foot) would be a mirror image of the right article of footwear.

Positional terms used when describing the upper, such as top, bottom, front, sides, back, superior, inferior, lateral, medial, right, left, interior, exterior, inner-facing, and outer-facing and the like, are used with respect to the upper being worn as intended with the wearer standing upright such that the wearer's foot is in the foot-receiving void and the wearer's ankle or leg extends through the ankle opening. It should be understood, however, that use of positional terms does not depend on the actual presence of a human being for interpretative purposes.

The terms “knitted component” refers to a textile piece that is formed from at least one yarn that is manipulated (e.g., with a knitting machine) to form a plurality of intermeshed loops that define courses and wales. The term “course,” as used herein, refers to a predominantly horizontal row of knit loops (in an upright textile as it is knit) that are produced by adjacent needles during the same knitting cycle. The course may comprise one or more stitch types, such as a knit stitch, a missed stitch, a tuck stitch, a transfer stitch, a rib stitch, and the like as these terms are known in the art of knitting. The term “wale,” as used herein, is a predominantly vertical column of intermeshed or interlooped knit loops, generally produced by the same needle at successive (but not necessarily all) courses or knitting cycles. The terms “horizontal” and “vertical” as used herein are relative to an upright textile as knit in which the heads of knit loops face toward the top of the textile and the course that is knit first is oriented towards the bottom of the textile.

The term “integrally knit,” as used herein, may mean a knitted component having a yarn from one or more knitted courses in a first area being interlooped with one or more knitted courses of another area. In this way, areas that are integrally knit together have a seamless transition.

Additionally, there are various measurements provided herein. Unless indicated otherwise, the term “substantially” with respect to a measurement means within ±10% of the indicated value or closeness to a subject of comparison.

FIG. 1A depicts a medial side perspective view of an article of footwear 100 in accordance with aspects herein. The article of footwear 100 includes an upper 102 secured to a sole structure 150. The article of footwear 100 also comprises a heel region 104, a midfoot region 105, and a toe region 106. The article of footwear 100 also includes a medial side 108, a lateral side (shown as 107 in FIG. 3) opposite the medial side, and a collar opening 140 that provides access to a foot receiving cavity 142. The article of footwear 100 comprises a knitted component 144 forming at least a portion of an upper 102 of the article of footwear 100. In example aspects, the knitted component 144 forms at least the medial side 108 of the upper. In some aspects, the knitted component forms all or substantially all of the upper. A fit of the upper 102 around a wearer's foot can be adjusted through a lace 130 threaded through apertures in the throat area 109 of the upper 102. In example aspects, the apertures comprise a plurality of lacing loops 110, which may be formed by a strand inlaid within the knitted component 144.

The article of footwear 100 also includes a containment piece 120 located on the medial side 108 of the article of footwear 100, as shown. The containment piece 120 also comprises one or more containment piece lacing loops 122. Thus, the lace 130 can be threaded through the lacing loops 110 on the knitted component 144 and the containment piece lacing loops 122 to adjust a fit of the article of footwear 100 around a foot of a wearer.

The containment piece 120, as shown, is secured to the sole structure 150 of the article of footwear and secured to the upper 102 through the containment piece lacing loops 122 and the lace 130. The containment piece 120 may be permanently secured to the sole structure 150 but may be moveable relative to knitted component 144 when the lace 130 is loosened or tightened. When secured to the knitted component 144, an outer surface 124 of the containment piece 120 may form an exterior layer of the medial side 108 of the upper 102. The containment piece 120 is positioned within a midfoot region 105 of the article of footwear 100 such that it may at least partially align with a medial aspect the arch of the wearer's foot. In this way, the containment piece 120, when in a secured configuration as shown in FIG. 1A, provides increased support to the medial side 108 of the article of footwear 100 that aligns with the arch of a wearer's foot when the article of footwear 100 is in its as-worn configuration. This additional support may be effective in, for example, reducing chances of foot rolling, reducing chances of foot twisting, reducing foot fatigue by providing added support, and the like, when the article of footwear 100 is worn by a wearer.

In FIG. 1A, only a portion of the containment piece 120 is exposed because, as described with respect to FIGS. 2 and 3, a portion of the containment piece 120 is secured within the sole structure 150, but it can be seen from FIG. 1A that the containment piece 120 comprises a generally tapering shape where a top edge 112 of the containment piece 120 is longer than the visible transition edge 116 of the containment piece 120 where the containment piece 120 meets the sole structure 150. This transition edge 116 is longer than the bottom edge 154 of the containment piece 120, which is visible in FIGS. 2 and 3. This tapered shape allows the containment piece 120 to effectively transfer directional forces applied to it via the containment piece lacing loops 122, and also allowing for a comfortable support to a foot of a wearer when the article of footwear 100 is worn by the wearer. Additionally, although not specifically shown, it is contemplated that the containment piece 120 may have a uniform width throughout its length (extending between its bottom edge to its top edge, or in other instances, the containment piece 120 may have a tapering shape where the top edge may be shorter than at least the transition edge; or in yet other instances, the containment piece 120 may have a tapering shape towards its top edge and a tapering shape towards its bottom edge, such that the top edge and the bottom edge have a shorter length than the length of the transition edge.

In one aspect, the lacing loops 110 may be formed from a continuous inlaid tensile strand that can be inlaid through at least medial side 108 and a lateral side (shown as 107 in FIG. 3 of the upper 102, or the continuous inlaid tensile strand may be inlaid throughout the upper 102 including the medial side 108, the toe region 106, and the lateral side 107, and the heel region 104. In other words, the continuous inlaid tensile strand may be inlaid from an outer edge of the upper 102 (e.g., the edge attaching to a strobel when forming the article of footwear) to an inner edge of the upper 102 (e.g., the edge defining at least a throat portion of the upper). Using a continuous inlaid strand in this manner may efficiently distribute the forces applied to the lacing loops 110 of the upper 102 and the containment piece lacing loops 122 via the lace 130. In some aspects in which knitted component 144 comprises an integrally formed foot bed portion, the inlaid tensile strand can be circumferentially inlaid (for example, from a medial side, under a foot bed, and around to the lateral side) within the knitted component 144, which may also efficiently distribute the forces applied to the lacing loops 110 and containment lacing loops 122. The containment piece 120, as mentioned above, may have one or more containment piece lacing loops 122 formed by a tensile strand 123 inlaid through the containment piece 120 from the bottom edge 154 (shown in FIGS. 2 and 3) to the top edge 112, to extend outwardly from the top edge 112. In other words, the inlaid tensile strand 123 forming the containment piece lacing loops 122 may extend along the length of the containment piece 120. The inlaid tensile strands forming the lacing loops 110 in the upper 102 and/or the containment piece lacing loops 122 of the containment piece 120 may have a higher denier (i.e., a greater diameter) than the yarns or strands forming the knitted component 144 or the containment piece 120. In some aspects, the inlaid tensile strand 123 may be a cable like strand having a higher tensile strength than the yarns/strands forming the knitted component 144 or containment piece 120. Further, in some aspects, the yarns forming the containment piece 120 may be different than the yarns forming the knitted component 144. For example, the yarns forming the containment piece 120 may have a higher tensile strength than the yarn forming the knitted component 144, thereby increasing the support added by the containment piece 120. In alternative aspects, the containment piece 120 may be formed of the same type of yarn as the knitted component 144.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1B, the containment piece 120 also serves as a flap that selectively covers and reveals a hidden indicia, symbol, drawing and the like, on the medial side 108 of the knitted component 144, such as symbol 132. In other words, the top edge 112 and at least part of side edges 114 and 118 of the containment piece 120 are detachable from the knitted component 144 or any other portion of the upper 102. Only a portion (e.g., lower portion 170 shown in FIG. 2) of the containment piece 120, starting at the visible transition edge 116 of the containment piece 120, is permanently secured to the sole structure 150 of the article of footwear 100. Thus, when the containment piece 120 is not secured to the knitted component 144 via the lace 130 laced through the containment piece lacing loops 122, the containment piece 120 is able to fall open, revealing an inner surface 126 of the containment piece 120 and the symbol 132 on the knitted component 144 that was hidden by the containment piece 120 in FIG. 1A.

FIG. 1C depicts the article of footwear 100 when the containment piece 120 is loosely secured to the knitted component 144. When the lace 130 is loosened, the containment piece 120 may still be secured to the knitted component 144 but the inner surface 126 of the containment piece 120 may no longer be in contact an outer-facing surface 146 knitted component 144. In this way, a tunnel 148 or space may be formed between the outer-facing surface 146 of the knitted component 144 and the inner surface 126 of the containment piece 120. In this loosely secured configuration, at least part of the symbol 132 may be visible from certain viewing angles. As such, when a wearer unties the lace 130 on the article of footwear 100, at least part of the symbol may be revealed, and when the wearer ties the lace 130, the symbol may be hidden. In this way, the containment piece 120 may enable a unique visual effect that selectively reveals the symbol 132 to the wearer or others. In some aspects, when the containment piece 120 is loosely secured to the knitted component 144, the symbol 132 is only partially exposed, hinting at what the symbol 132 could be without fully revealing what it is until the containment piece is detached from the knitted component 144 as shown in FIG. 1B.

In accordance with some aspects, the symbol 132 may be a customizable portion for personalization. For example, a team's logo, a person's name, a brand logo, limited edition indicia, or any other suitable image, symbol, or indicia, may be “hidden” behind the containment piece 120.

The knitted component 144 forming at least a portion of the upper 102 may be formed as an integral one-piece element from a single knitting process, such as a weft knitting process done one two or more needle beds. Although the knitted component 144 appears to form the whole upper 102 in FIGS. 1A-1C, it is also contemplated that the knitted component 144 may form only a portion of an upper, where other materials, structures, textures may be incorporated into other portions of the upper using knitting or non-knitting processes. In example aspects, the containment piece 120 is also a textile component and may be referred to herein as a textile containment piece 120. The textile containment piece 120 may be a knitted textile although other textiles are also contemplated including wovens, non-wovens, laminates, and the like suitable for forming the containment piece 120, as disclosed herein.

Various yarns may be used for forming the knitted component 144 as well as the containment piece 120. For instance, these yarns may include single filament (also referred to as a monofilament yarn), or a plurality of filaments group together (also referred to as a multifilament yarn). Each yarn may include separate filaments formed of different materials or the yarn may include filaments that are each formed of the same material. Some of the materials may include, for example, elastane, polyester, thermoplastic polymers, aramids, cotton, hemp, bamboo, and the like.

FIG. 2 depicts a deconstructed view of the article of footwear 100, shown in FIGS. 1A-1C. As shown in FIG. 2, the containment piece 120 is permanently secured to the sole structure 150 of the article of footwear 100 by inserting the bottom edge 154 of the containment piece 120 through a slit 152 formed on a medial side 162 of the sole structure 150. Thus, having a lower portion 170 of the containment piece 120 permanently secured to the sole structure 150 by stitching or bonding. As shown, the sole structure 150 may comprise a cavity 156 formed in the footbed portion 160 of the sole structure 150. The slit 152 may be formed between an upper edge 164 and a lower edge 166 of the sole structure 150. The exact location of the slit 152 may be determined by the depth 168 of the cavity 156. In other words, the deeper the cavity 156, the closer the slit 152 may be to the lower edge 166, and the shallower the cavity 156, the closer the slit 152 may be to the upper edge 164 of the sole structure 150. Further, as shown, the slit 152 is substantially parallel to the upper edge 164, which means that its length extends in a general horizontal orientation when the article of footwear 100 is positioned over a flat surface that extends generally parallel to a ground surface.

Once the lower portion 170 of the containment piece 120 is secured to the sole structure 150, the cavity 156 may be filled with a sole piece 158, which further secures the lower portion 170 of the containment piece 120 to the sole structure 150. In other words, the sole piece 158 may be shaped to correspond to a shape of the cavity 156 to fit like a puzzle piece within the cavity 156, as shown in FIG. 3. Once the sole piece 158 is within the cavity 156 and is secured to the sole structure 150, a bottom portion 172 of the upper 102 may be secured to the footbed portion 160 of the sole structure 150 to form the article of footwear 100. The bottom portion 172 of the upper may be a strobel attached to the knitted component 144 or, alternatively, may be formed by the knitted component 144. After the containment piece 120 is secured to the sole structure 150 and the sole structure 150 is secured to the upper 102, the article of footwear 100 may have the configuration shown in FIG. 1B where the containment piece 120 is “peeled off” of the upper 102 in that it may not be secured to the knitted component 144 via the lace 130.

FIG. 3 depicts a cut-off perspective view of the article of footwear 100 when the containment piece 120 is secured to the sole structure 150 and the lace 130 is threaded through the containment piece lacing loops 122 such that the containment piece 120 is fully secured to the knitted component 144 (similar to the configuration shown in FIG. 1A). As shown, in FIG. 3, the inner surface 126 of the containment piece 120, when tightly secured by the lace 130, is in substantial contact with the outer-facing surface 146 of the medial side 108 of the knitted component 144, acting as a reinforcement layer on the medial side 108. Although not specifically shown, it is also contemplated that the containment piece 120 may be provided on the lateral side 107 of the article of footwear 100, without departing from aspects described herein. Thus, in the secured configuration 300 of the containment piece 120, an interior surface 304 of the knitted component 144 faces an interior cavity 320 of the upper 102, while the outer surface 308 of the containment piece 120 is exposed to the environment. As further shown, in accordance with some aspects, the thickness 310 of the knitted component 144 may be substantially the same as to the thickness 312 of the containment piece 120. In other aspects, the thickness 312 of the containment piece 120 may be thicker than the knitted component 144, depending on the amount of support desired or needed. As additionally shown in FIG. 3, the bottom edge 154 of the containment piece 120 is inserted through the slit 152 on the medial side 162 of the sole structure 150 such that a substantial portion 322 of the containment piece 120 is secured within the sole structure 150.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show example configurations for a containment piece and either may be utilized as the containment piece 120 in FIGS. 1A-3. FIG. 4, for example, shows a containment piece 400 configured as a single layer textile having an inlaid tensile strand(s) 402 for forming containment piece lacing loops (such as containment piece lacing loops 122). As shown, the inlaid tensile strand(s) 402 may weave in and out of a surface 404 of the containment piece 400 at regular intervals for optimal transfer of force from the lace (e.g., lace 130) to the containment piece lacing loop and the containment piece 400. In aspects in which the containment piece 400 is knitted, the inlaid tensile strand 402 may alternative between extending in front and behind knitted loops.

FIG. 5 shows a containment piece 500 configured as a multilayer textile having an inlaid tensile strand(s) 502 for forming the containment piece lacing loops (such as containment piece lacing loops 122). As shown, the inlaid tensile strand(s) 502 weave in and out of an inner layer 506, but do not extend through the exterior surface 504 of the outer layer 508. Thus, the containment piece 500 exposes a “smooth” outer surface, which may be aesthetically desirable, particularly in instances where designs, indicia, symbols, and the like on the containment piece 500 are desirable. Further, the multilayer textile configuration may further provide a reinforced containment piece by virtue of the additional layer, or the different layers of the containment piece may be constructed with different materials to provide different physical properties to the different layers. For example, in the containment piece 500 shown in FIG. 5, the outer layer 508 may be constructed from an abrasion resistant material, while the inner layer 506 may be constructed from an elastic material. In this way, desired properties may be achieved for the containment piece 500, by using different materials for different layers of the containment piece 500.

FIG. 6 illustrates a flow diagram depicting an example method 600 for forming an article of footwear (which may have the properties of the article of footwear 100 of FIGS. 1A-3) having a knitted containment piece, in accordance with aspects disclosed herein, for example, at FIGS. 1-5. The steps provided in method 600 are merely illustrative, and method 600 may include additional steps that are not illustrated. At least some of the steps of method 600 are performed on a knitting machine, which may be an automated knitting machine. As such, one or more of these steps may be performed and/or controlled using a control unit having a processor or computer communicatively coupled with or integrated into the knitting machine.

At step 610 of the method 600, a knitted component for an upper is knitted. In example aspects, the knitted component is formed by weft-knitting, but it may be contemplated that warp-knitting may be used. The knitted component may be knit using at least a first yarn at step 610. The knitted component knitted at step 610 may have the same properties described for the knitted component 144 of FIGS. 1A-3.

At step 620, a containment piece having a first edge and an opposite second edge is also knitted. The containment piece knitted at step 620 may have the same properties described for the containment piece 120 and either containment pieces 400 and 500 of FIGS. 4 and 5. The containment piece may be knit with a second yarn that is a different material with different properties as the first yarn. For example, the second yarn forming the containment piece may have a higher tenacity or tensile strength than the first yarn forming the knitted component. In some aspects, the containment piece has a tapered shape such that the second edge of the containment piece is shorter than the first edge of the containment piece.

It is contemplated that the knitted component and the knitted containment piece may be simultaneously knit by a knitting machine at different needle locations of the knitting machine. In alternative aspects, the knitted component and the knitted containment piece may be knitted separately, at different times, and/or at different knitting machines, and then brought together at a later processing step.

Once the containment piece is formed, at step 630 the second edge of the containment piece may be inserted through a slit on the medial side of a sole structure (which may have properties of the sole structure 150 of FIGS. 1A-3). At step 640, the containment piece is secured to the sole structure. In some aspects, a lower portion of the containment piece is secured within a cavity of the sole structure by, for example, stitching, gluing, sewing, adhesive bonding, fusing, and the like, to the sole structure. At step 650, once the containment piece is secured to the sole structure, the upper may also be secured to the sole structure to form the article of footwear. Particularly, a bottom portion of the upper is secured to the sole structure. In some aspects, the bottom portion of the upper is a strobel secured to the knitted component formed at step 610. In alternative aspects, the knitted component itself forms the bottom portion of the upper and is secured directly to the sole structure.

Further, method 600 may include securing the first edge (which may be referred to as a top edge) of the containment piece to the knitted component. In example aspects, the first edge is indirectly secured to the knitted component via a lace (e.g., the lace 130 of FIGS. 1A-3). For example, the containment piece may be knit with an inlaid tensile strand that forms containment piece lacing loops (e.g., containment piece lacing loops 122 in FIGS. 1A-3) that are proximate to and extending above the first edge, and a lace threaded through apertures of the knitted component may also be threaded through the containment piece lacing loops such that the containment piece is secured to the knitted component. In some aspects, the apertures of the knitted component are lace loops formed by an inlaid tensile strand that is inlaid within the knitted component at step 610. The inlaid tensile strands of the containment piece and the knitted component may each have a higher tensile strength than either the first yarn forming the knitted component and/or the second yarn forming the containment piece. In this way, a first tensile strength of the inlaid tensile strands of the knitted component and containment piece may be greater than a second tensile strength of the second yarn of the containment piece, which may be greater than a third tensile strength of the first yarn of the knitted component.

In some aspects, the containment piece is unsecured to the knitted component between the first edge and the second edge of the containment piece. In this way, the containment piece may be partially detachable from the knitted component when the lace is loosened, creating a tunnel for viewing an otherwise hidden symbol or indicia.

Aspects of the present disclosure have been described with the intent to be illustrative rather than restrictive. Alternative aspects will become apparent to those skilled in the art that do not depart from its scope. A skilled artisan may develop alternative means of implementing the aforementioned improvements without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations and are contemplated within the scope of the claims. Not all steps listed in the various figures need be carried out in the specific order described.

KNITTED COMPONENT WITH CONTAINMENT

Information

Publication Number

Date Filed

Date Published

Inventors

Original Assignees

CPC

International Classifications

Abstract

Description

Claims

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Provisional Applications (1)