Article of footwear incorporating a knitted component with a tongue

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10351979-B2
Application number	US-201615268086-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 16, 2016
Priority date	Feb 20, 2012
Publication date	Jul 16, 2019
Grant date	Jul 16, 2019

Abstract

The present disclosure provides an upper for an article of footwear. The upper may include a knit element defining a portion of at least one of an exterior surface of the upper and an opposite interior surface of the upper. The interior surface may define a void. A tongue and the knit element may have a common yarn, and the tongue may extend through a throat area of the upper. The tongue may comprise a lateral edge, a medial edge, and a forward portion. At least one of the lateral edge, the medial edge, and the forward portion may be unsecured to the knit element. The tongue may be secured to the knit element at least at one of the lateral edge, the medial edge, and the forward portion of the throat area.

First claim

We claim:

1. An upper for an article of footwear, the upper comprising:
a knit element defining a portion of at least one of an exterior surface of the upper and an opposite interior surface of the upper, the interior surface defining a void; and
a tongue, wherein the tongue and the knit element have a common yarn, and wherein the tongue extends through a throat area of the upper,
wherein the tongue comprises a lateral edge, a medial edge, and a forward portion,
wherein at least one of the lateral edge, the medial edge, and the forward portion is unsecured to the knit element,
wherein the tongue is secured to the knit element at least at one of the lateral edge, the medial edge, and the forward portion of the throat area, and
wherein at least one of the lateral edge and the medial edge of the tongue overlaps and is coextensive with the knit element in the throat area.

2. The upper of claim 1 , wherein the tongue includes a first peripheral area disposed along the lateral edge and a second peripheral area disposed along the medial edge of the tongue.

3. The upper of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the first and second peripheral areas is adjacent to an area of the tongue having a plurality of apertures.

4. The upper of claim 2 , wherein at least one of the first and second peripheral areas has an untextured configuration.

5. The upper of claim 4 , wherein the untextured configuration includes at least one of: (1) a tubular knit structure, and (2) a tubular and interlock knit structure.

6. The upper of claim 2 , wherein the peripheral areas of the tongue include at least one stretch yarn.

7. The upper of claim 1 , wherein the tongue further comprises a central area having a padded configuration, the central area including:
a first knitted layer and a second knitted layer, the first knitted layer and the second knitted layer forming a tubular structure; and
a plurality of floating yarns disposed between the first knitted layer and the second knitted layer within the tubular structure, the plurality of floating yarns being configured to provide the padded configuration to the central area.

8. An upper for an article of footwear, the upper comprising:
a knit element defining a portion of at least one of an exterior surface of the upper and an opposite interior surface of the upper, the interior surface defining a void; and
a tongue, wherein the tongue and the knit element have a common yarn, and wherein the tongue extends through a throat area of the upper,
wherein a central area of the tongue includes a first knitted layer, a second knitted layer, and a plurality of free yarn sections, the first knitted layer and the second knitted layer forming a tubular structure, and the plurality of free yarn sections being located between the first knitted layer and the second knitted layer within the tubular structure,
wherein the tongue is secured to the knit element at least at one of a lateral edge, a medial edge, and a forward portion of the throat area, and
wherein at least one of the lateral edge and the medial edge of the tongue overlaps and is coextensive with the knit element in the throat area.

9. The upper of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of free yarn sections are parallel to surfaces of the first knitted layer and the second knitted layer within the tubular structure.

10. The article of footwear recited in claim 8 , wherein edges of the first knitted layer are secured to edges of the second knitted layer along opposite sides of the central area to define the tubular structure.

11. The article of footwear recited in claim 10 , wherein the first knitted layer and the second knitted layer are unsecured to each other through the central area of the tongue to form an interior volume within the tubular structure.

12. The article of footwear recited in claim 11 , wherein the plurality of free yarn sections are configured to at least partially fill the interior volume within the tubular structure.

13. The article of footwear recited in claim 8 , wherein at least one of the first knitted layer and the second knitted layer includes a stretch yarn.

14. The article of footwear recited in claim 8 , wherein the tongue includes a first peripheral area disposed along the lateral edge and a second peripheral area disposed along a medial edge of the tongue.

15. The article of footwear recited in claim 14 , wherein the tongue further comprises at least one area having a plurality of knit apertures, the at least one area disposed between the central area and the peripheral areas and spaced apart from the lateral edge and medial edge of the tongue.

16. An upper for an article of footwear, the upper comprising:
a knit element defining a portion of at least one of an exterior surface of the upper and an opposite interior surface of the upper, the interior surface defining a void, the knit element having opposite inner edges on a medial side and a lateral side that are spaced apart from each other to define a throat area extending along a longitudinal direction of the upper; and
a tongue having a common course with the knit element, wherein the tongue extends through the throat area of the upper,
wherein the tongue includes a lateral edge and a medial edge, the lateral edge and the medial edge of the tongue being secured to the knit element at a location that is spaced outward from each of the inner edges along the medial side and the lateral side of the throat area of the upper, and
wherein at least one of the lateral edge and the medial edge of the tongue overlaps and is coextensive with the knit element in the throat area.

17. The upper of claim 16 , wherein at least a portion of the tongue includes a plurality of knit apertures.

18. The upper of claim 16 , wherein the knit element includes at least one course that is substantially continuous with at least one course of the tongue at a forward portion of the throat area of the upper.

19. The upper of claim 16 , further comprising a course that secures at least one of the lateral side and the medial side of the tongue to the knit element.

20. The article of footwear recited in claim 16 ,
wherein the tongue further comprises a central area having a padded configuration, the central area including:
a first knitted layer and a second knitted layer, the first knitted layer and the second knitted layer forming a tubular structure; and
a plurality of floating yarns disposed between the first knitted layer and the second knitted layer within the tubular structure, the plurality of floating yarns being configured to provide padding.

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Dua Bhupesh
• Podhajny Daniel A
• Shaffer Benjamin A
• Tatler Daren P
• Huffa Bruce

Classifications

• D04B1/22

  specially adapted for knitting goods of particular configuration · CPC title

• D04B1/104

  Openwork fabric, e.g. pelerine fabrics · CPC title

• D04B19/00

  Unravelling knitted fabrics · CPC title

• D04B1/24 Primary

  wearing apparel · CPC title

• D04B1/12

  characterised by thread material · CPC title