Footwear including a textile upper

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10051918-B2
Application number	US-201615149610-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 9, 2016
Priority date	May 8, 2015
Publication date	Aug 21, 2018
Grant date	Aug 21, 2018

Abstract

An article of footwear includes a sole structure and an upper attached to the sole structure. The upper is formed from a textile including interlocked strands oriented in a predetermined configuration. The strands include one or more inelastic strands operable to provide stretch and/or recovery properties to the upper.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. An article of footwear defining a forefoot region, a hindfoot region, and a midfoot region disposed between the forefoot region and the hindfoot region, the article of footwear including a foot cavity configured to house a foot, the article of footwear comprising:
a sole structure; and
an upper coupled to the sole structure, the upper comprising a knit structure with strands of interlocked loops organized in courses and wales forming a seamless heel section, the heel seamless section including:
a curving heel cup and
a footbed configured to extend between the sole structure and a bottom of the foot,
wherein the courses of the knit structure within the curving heel cup include courses of varying length, and wherein the courses of varying length are organized relative to a horizontal heel axis such that course length increases in a direction away from the heel axis.

2. The article of footwear according to claim 1 further comprising:
a lateral quarter section disposed forward of the heel cup along a lateral side of the article of footwear; and
a medial quarter section disposed forward of the heel cup along a medial side of the article of footwear.

3. The article of footwear according to claim 2 , wherein each of the heel cup, the lateral quarter and the medial quarter are integral with the footbed of the upper.

4. The article of footwear according to claim 1 , wherein the knit structure within the heel section comprises:
a first course possessing a first length;
a second course possessing a second length; and
a third course oriented between the first and second courses, the third course possessing a third length,
wherein the third length is less than each of the first length and the second length.

5. The article of footwear according to claim 1 , wherein the footbed section extends continuously from the hindfoot region of the upper through the midfoot region of the upper, the planum section being stitchless and seamless throughout each region.

6. The article of footwear according to claim 1 , wherein the strands of the knit structure are selected from the group consisting of elastic strands, inelastic strands, and heat sensitive strands.

7. The article of footwear according to claim 1 , wherein the knit structure further comprises a plurality of strands fused to adjacent strands.

8. The article of footwear according to claim 1 , wherein the strands of the knit structure include bicomponent strands, each bicomponent strand comprising a first component polymer and a second component polymer, the first component polymer having one or more properties that differ from one or more properties of the second component polymer.

9. The article of footwear according to claim 8 , wherein the first component polymer possesses a first rate of shrinkage and the second component polymer possesses a second rate of shrinkage, the first rate of shrinkage differing from the second rate of shrinkage.

10. The article of footwear according to claim 1 , wherein the upper possesses a unitary construction such that each section shares a common strand with adjacent sections.

11. The article of footwear according to claim 10 , wherein each section is integral with adjacent sections.

12. The article of footwear according to claim 1 , wherein the knit structure further comprises thermally conductive strands.

13. The article of footwear according to claim 12 , wherein the strands of the knit structure include:
a first strand possessing a first thermal conduction value; and
a second strand possessing a second thermal conduction value,
wherein the first thermal conduction value is greater than the second thermal conduction value.

14. The article of footwear according to claim 1 , wherein the heel section includes full courses, partially truncated courses, and fully truncated courses.

15. The article of footwear according to claim 1 , wherein:
the knit structure within the heel section comprises a first course, a second course, and a third course;
the second course is truncated relative to the first course and the third course; and
the third course is interlocked with each of the first course and the second course.

16. The article of footwear according to claim 1 , wherein:
the knit structure comprises full courses running from a first lateral side to a second lateral side; and
a partially truncated course that is truncated on one of the first lateral side and the second lateral side.

17. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the knit structure further includes a fully truncated course that is truncated on each of the first lateral side and the second lateral side.

18. The article of footwear according to claim 1 , wherein the knit structure is a flat knit structure.

19. An article of footwear defining a forefoot region, a hindfoot region, and a midfoot region disposed between the forefoot region and the hindfoot region, the article of footwear comprising:
a sole structure; and
an upper coupled to the sole structure, the upper comprising a flat knit structure formed of strands organized in courses and wales, the strands including fusible strands,
wherein the upper includes a seamless, curved heel cup formed integrally with a footbed extending forward from the hindfoot region and into the midfoot region, and wherein the flat knit structure within the heel cup comprises courses of varying length.

20. The article of footwear according to claim 19 , wherein:
the knit structure within the heel section comprises a first course, a second course, and a third course;
the second course is truncated relative to the first course and the third course; and
the third course is interlocked with each of the first course and the second course.

Assignees

• Under Armour Inc

Inventors

• Dombrow David
• Fallon Kevin P
• White Thomas

Classifications

• A43B23/088

  Heel stiffeners (A43B23/10, A43B23/14, A43B23/16, A43B23/17 take precedence) · CPC title

• A43B23/028 Primary

  Resilient uppers, e.g. shock absorbing · CPC title

• A43B5/06

  Running shoes; Track shoes · CPC title

• A43C5/00

  Eyelets (machines for setting eyelets A43D100/00) · CPC title

• A43C1/04

  with rings or loops · CPC title