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US-20260123716-A1 - LIGHTWEIGHT KNITTED UPPER AND METHODS OF MANUFACTURE

US20260123716A1US 20260123716 A1US20260123716 A1US 20260123716A1US-20260123716-A1

Abstract

A lightweight, breathable and high-strength upper formed from a less than full gauge knit, at least in part from consecutive courses of a first monofilament and a second multifilament, is described. Methods of manufacture of an article of footwear including the lightweight upper are also described.

Inventors

  • Shannon J. Basa
  • Torrey J. Bell
  • Christina G. Cato
  • Lauren E. Durrell

Assignees

  • NIKE INC.

Dates

Publication Date
20260507
Application Date
20251231

Claims (20)

  1. 1 . An article of footwear, comprising: an upper, comprising: a knitted component forming at least part of a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region of the upper, wherein at least a portion of the knitted component comprises a less than full gauge knit, and wherein the knitted component comprises at least a first monofilament and a second multifilament; and a sole structure attached to the upper.
  2. 2 . The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the first monofilament comprises a core and a sheath comprising a thermoplastic polyurethane.
  3. 3 . The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the first monofilament has an approximate denier of about 350 and an average tensile strength of about 1.17 Kgf.
  4. 4 . The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the upper comprises a single jersey knit.
  5. 5 . The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the less than full gauge knit comprises at least one of a half gauge, a quarter gauge knit, and a third gauge knit.
  6. 6 . The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the knitted component is formed exclusively of the first monofilament.
  7. 7 . The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the forefoot region is formed from alternating courses comprising a first course comprising three ends of the second multifilament, a second course comprising two ends of the first monofilament, a third course comprising three ends of the second multifilament, and a fourth course comprising two ends of the first monofilament.
  8. 8 . The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the knitted component is formed from consecutive courses in a single layer, the consecutive courses comprising a first course comprising at least one end of the second multifilament and a second course comprising at least one end of the first monofilament.
  9. 9 . The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the knitted component is formed from consecutive courses in a single layer, the consecutive courses comprising a first course comprising at least two ends of the second multifilament and a second course comprising at least one end of the first monofilament.
  10. 10 . The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the knitted component is formed from consecutive courses in a single layer, the consecutive courses comprising a first course comprising at least three ends of the second multifilament and a second course comprising at least one end of the first monofilament.
  11. 11 . The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the portion of the knitted component is formed from consecutive courses in a single layer, the consecutive courses comprising a first course comprising three ends of the second multifilament, a second course comprising one end of the first monofilament, a third course comprising three ends of the second multifilament, and a fourth course comprising two ends of the first monofilament.
  12. 12 . The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein a basis weight of the knitted component is from about 2 g to about 5 g for a swatch of the knitted component sized approximately 5 in.×5 in.
  13. 13 . The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the first monofilament is formed at least in part from a thermoplastic polymer material.
  14. 14 . The article of footwear of claim 13 , wherein the thermoplastic polymer material has a melting temperature above about 100 degrees Celsius, or above about 120 degrees Celsius, or above about 170 degrees Celsius, or above about 200 degrees Celsius.
  15. 15 . The article of footwear of claim 1 , further comprising a skin layer disposed upon at least a portion thereof.
  16. 16 . The article of footwear of claim 15 , wherein the skin layer comprises a thermoplastic material.
  17. 17 . The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the second multifilament comprises a tenacity of at least about 5 g per denier.
  18. 18 . An upper, comprising: a knitted component forming at least part of a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region of the upper, wherein at least a portion of the knitted component comprises a less than full gauge knit, and wherein the knitted component comprises at least a first monofilament and a second multifilament.
  19. 19 . The upper of claim 18 , wherein the less than full gauge knit is a half gauge knit.
  20. 20 . The upper of claim 18 , wherein the less than full gauge knit is a third gauge knit.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/840,888, filed on Apr. 6, 2020, which claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patent app. no. 62/835,175, filed on Apr. 17, 2019. Both of these references applications are incorporated herein in their entirety. BACKGROUND A variety of articles are formed from textiles. As examples, 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 interlooping (e.g., knitting) a yarn or a plurality of yarns, usually through a mechanical process involving looms or knitting machines. One particular object that may be formed from a textile is an upper for an article of footwear. Conventional articles of footwear generally include two primary elements: an upper and a sole structure. The upper is secured to the sole structure and forms a void within the article of footwear for comfortably and securely receiving a foot. The sole structure is secured to a lower surface of the upper so as to be positioned between the upper and the ground. In some articles of athletic footwear, for example, the sole structure may include a midsole and an outsole. The midsole may be formed from a polymer foam material that attenuates ground reaction forces to lessen stresses upon the foot and leg during walking, running, and other ambulatory activities. The outsole may be secured to a lower surface of the midsole and forms a ground-engaging portion of the sole structure that is formed from a durable and wear-resistant material. The upper of the article of footwear generally 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. In some cases, the upper may extend at least partially underfoot. Access to the void on the interior of the upper is generally provided by an ankle opening in a heel area of the footwear. A lacing system is often incorporated into the upper to adjust the fit of the upper, thereby facilitating entry and removal of the foot from the void within the upper. The upper may include a tongue that extends under the lacing system to enhance adjustability of the footwear, and the upper may incorporate a heel counter to limit movement of the heel. DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The embodiments will be further described in connection with the attached drawings. It is intended that the drawings included as a part of this specification be illustrative of the exemplary embodiments and should in no way be considered as a limitation on the scope of the present disclosure. Indeed, the present disclosure specifically contemplates other embodiments not illustrated but intended to be included in the claims. FIG. 1 is an illustration showing a side view of one embodiment of an article of footwear including a knitted component and a skin layer in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is an illustration showing a top view of the article of footwear of FIG. 1 in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is an illustration showing a back view of the article of footwear of FIG. 1 in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure. FIG. 4A is a program view of a knitting sequence for forming at least a portion of the knitted component of FIG. 1 in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure. FIG. 4B is a program view of a knitting sequence for forming at least a portion of the collar and/or throat (tongue region) in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is an illustration showing the knitted component of FIG. 1 mounted on a jig in accordance with certain aspects of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Various aspects are described below with reference to the drawings in which like elements generally are identified by like numerals. The relationship and functioning of the various elements of the aspects may better be understood by reference to the following detailed description. However, aspects are not limited to those illustrated in the drawings or explicitly described below. It also should be understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale, and in certain instances details may have been omitted that are not necessary for an understanding of aspects disclosed herein, such as conventional fabrication and assembly. Certain aspects of the present disclosure relate to articles at least partially formed from textiles. One example of an article is an article of apparel (e.g., shirts, pants, socks, footwear, jackets and other outerwear, briefs and other undergarments, hats and other headwear, or the like). The article may be an upper configured for use in