Article of footwear with upper having stitched polymer thread pattern and methods of making the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10370785-B2
Application number	US-201715591972-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 10, 2017
Priority date	Mar 7, 2017
Publication date	Aug 6, 2019
Grant date	Aug 6, 2019

Abstract

An upper for an article of footwear, the upper including a base layer defining a least a portion of the upper and polymer threads stitched to the base layer. The polymer threads may include a core composed of a first material and a coating composed of a second material, where the melting point of the first material is higher than the melting point of the second material. The polymer threads may be bonded to the base layer by the coating of the polymer threads. The polymer threads may include one or more polymer thread sets stitched in pattern(s) on area(s) of an outer surface of the base layer to provide targeted characteristics to area(s) on the upper. In some embodiments, the polymer threads may be bonded to the base layer with heat and/or pressure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of making an article of footwear, the method comprising:
stitching polymer thread in a first pattern on an outer surface of a base layer for at least a portion of an upper of the article of footwear, the first pattern comprising polymer thread lines oriented in a first direction and secured to the base layer at a plurality of stitch points with backing thread disposed on a back surface of the base layer opposite the outer surface;
stitching polymer thread in a second pattern on the outer surface of the base layer, the second pattern comprising polymer thread lines oriented in a second direction that is different from the first direction and secured to the base layer at a plurality of stitch points with backing thread disposed on the back surface of the base layer opposite the outer surface;
thermally fusing the polymer thread of the first pattern and the second pattern to the base layer by heating the polymer thread of the first pattern and the second pattern to a minimum temperature to thereby directly bond the polymer thread of the first pattern and the second pattern to the base layer; and
coupling the base layer to one or more footwear components to form the article of footwear,
wherein at least a portion of the second pattern overlaps at least a portion of the first pattern in an overlap area on the outer surface of the base layer, and
wherein the distance between adjacent stitch points in thread lines for at least one of the first pattern and the second pattern varies.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein thermally fusing the polymer thread of the first pattern and the second pattern to the base layer comprises thermally fusing the polymer thread to the outer surface of the base layer.

3. The method of claim 1 , comprising thermally fusing the polymer thread of the first pattern to the polymer thread of the second pattern in the overlap area by heating the polymer thread of the first pattern and the second pattern to a minimum temperature.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the distance between adjacent stitch points in thread lines for at least one of the first pattern and the second pattern varies randomly.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein thermally fusing the polymer thread of the first pattern and the second pattern to the base layer comprises thermally fusing the polymer thread to the outer surface and the back surface of the base layer.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first pattern and the second pattern comprise oscillating patterns with apexes defined by thread lines of the first pattern and the second pattern, respectively, and wherein the varying distance between adjacent stitch points in thread lines for at least one of the first pattern and the second pattern creates thread lines with adjacent apexes positioned in an undulating arrangement.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer thread of the first pattern and the second pattern comprises a thermoplastic material.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer thread of at least one of the first pattern and the second pattern comprises a core comprising a first material and a thermoplastic coating comprising a second material, wherein the melting point of the first material is higher than the melting point of the second material.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein thermally fusing the polymer thread of the first pattern and the second pattern to the base layer comprises heating the second material to the minimum temperature.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the minimum temperature is in the range of 180 degrees C. to 80 degrees C.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein thermally fusing the polymer thread of the first pattern and the second pattern comprises pressing to the polymer thread to the base layer.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the base layer defines at least a portion of an outermost surface of an upper of the article of footwear.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first pattern imparts a first directional characteristic to a first area of the base layer and the second pattern imparts a second directional characteristic to a second area of the base layer, and
wherein the first directional characteristic and the second directional characteristic are selected from the group consisting of: directional stretchability and directional strength.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more footwear components are selected from the group consisting of: a sole, a heel counter, and a lace component.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer thread of the first pattern and the second pattern are stitched to the base layer with a computer numerical controlled stitching machine.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first pattern and the second pattern is based on a biometric data profile for an individual.

17. A method of making an article of footwear, the method comprising:
stitching one or more polymer threads in one or more patterns on an outer surface of a base layer for at least a portion of an upper for the article of footwear, the one or more polymer threads comprising a core comprising a first material and a coating comprising a second material, wherein the melting point of the first material is higher than the melting point of the second material;
thermally fusing the one or more polymer threads to the base layer by heating the second material of the one or more polymer threads to a minimum temperature to thereby directly bond the one or more polymer threads to the base layer; and
coupling the base layer to one or more footwear components to form the article of footwear,
wherein stitching the one or more polymer threads comprises stitching the one or more polymer threads through the base layer and securing the one or more polymer threads to the base layer with a backing thread disposed on a back surface of the base layer opposite the outer surface,
wherein the one or more polymers threads are secured to the base layer with the backing thread at a plurality of stitch points, and
wherein the distance between adjacent stitch points in thread lines for at least one of the first pattern and the second pattern varies.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein thermally fusing the one or more polymer threads to the base layer comprises pressing the one or more polymer threads and the base layer.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein the minimum temperature is equal to or above the melting point of the second material.

20. A method of making at least a portion of an upper for an article of footwear, the method comprising:
stitching polymer thread in a first pattern on an outer surface of a base layer, the first pattern comprising polymer thread lines oriented in a first direction;
stitching polymer thread in a second pattern on the outer surface of the base layer, the second pattern comprising polymer thread lines oriented in a second direction that is different from the first direction,
stitching polymer thread in a third pattern on the outer surface of the base layer, the third pattern comprising polymer thread lines oriented in a third direction that is different from the first direction and the second direction; and
thermally fusing the polymer thread of the first pattern, the second pattern, and the third pattern to the base layer by heating the polymer thread of the first pattern, the second pattern, and the third pattern to a minimum temperature to thereby directly bond the polymer thread of the first pattern, the second pattern, and the third pattern to t

Assignees

• Adidas Ag

Inventors

• Mcginnity Jason Daniel
• Atkins Janette P
• Hall Elise Marie
• Arnese Carl

Classifications

• A61B5/11

  Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor or mobility of a limb {(A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721)} · CPC title

• A61B5/14546

  for measuring analytes not otherwise provided for, e.g. ions, cytochromes · CPC title

• B29D35/128

  Moulds or apparatus therefor · CPC title

• B29D35/126

  Uppers · CPC title

• A43B23/0255

  assembled by gluing or thermo bonding · CPC title