Knitted loft zones

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10945482-B2
Application number	US-201816163872-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 18, 2018
Priority date	Oct 20, 2017
Publication date	Mar 16, 2021
Grant date	Mar 16, 2021

Abstract

A knitted component may include a loft zone having at least one first loft portion that is integrally knit. The loft portion may include a first knitted layer having an elasticated first material, a second knitted layer, a void between the first knitted layer and the second knitted layer, and at least one course of a second material that is knitted within the void and causes the second knitted layer to extend away from the first knitted layer by a first distance. The at least one course of the second material may include at least one float and may project into the void. The second material may have a greater resistance to bending than the elasticated first material.

First claim

We claim:

1. A knitted component, comprising:
a loft zone comprising at least a first loft portion and a second loft portion that are integrally knit, each loft portion comprising: 1) a first knitted layer comprising an elasticated first material, 2) a second knitted layer, 3) a void between the first knitted layer and the second knitted layer, and 4) at least one course of a second material that is knitted within the void and causes the second knitted layer to extend away from the first knitted layer by a first distance of about 2-5 mm;
wherein the at least one course of the second material comprises at least one float and projects into the void;
wherein the second material has a greater resistance to bending than the elasticated first material;
wherein each loft portion has a width of about 4-10 mm in a course-wise direction defined between a first connection point between the first knitted layer and the second knitted layer and a second connection point between the first knitted layer and the second knitted layer; and,
wherein a recess having a depth of about 2-5 mm extends between an exterior surface of the second knitted layer of the first loft portion and an exterior surface of the second knitted layer of the second loft portion.

2. The knitted component of claim 1 , wherein the elasticated first material has a maximum elongation greater than 200%.

3. The knitted component of claim 1 , wherein the second material is a monofilament strand.

4. The knitted component of claim 1 , wherein the at least one float has a float length of at least three needles.

5. The knitted component of claim 1 , wherein the loft zone further comprises a plurality of apertures.

6. The knitted component of claim 1 , further comprising a second loft zone comprising an elasticated third material having a different elasticity than the elasticated first material.

7. An article of footwear, comprising;
a knitted component defining at least part of a void for receiving a foot and comprising 1) an interior layer comprising an elasticated first material knitted with 2) an exterior layer, wherein the interior layer at least partially defines the void;
wherein the exterior layer and the interior layer comprise a first loft zone knitted into the component adjacent the void, wherein a first portion of the exterior layer and a first portion of the interior layer in the first loft zone comprise a first loft portion, the first portion of the exterior layer extending about 2-5 mm away from the first portion of the interior layer, wherein a second portion of the exterior layer and a second portion of the interior layer in the first loft zone comprise a second loft portion, the second portion of the exterior layer extending about 2-5 mm away from the second portion of the interior layer, and wherein a recess having a depth of about 2-5 mm extends between the first portion of the exterior layer and the second portion of the exterior layer;
wherein each loft portion comprises a space formed between freely separable areas of the interior and exterior layers and at least one course of a second material knitted within the space;
wherein the at least one course of the second material projects into the space, causing the exterior layer to extend away from the interior layer; and,
wherein each loft portion has a first width of about 4-10 mm defined by adjacent connection points between the interior layer and the exterior layer.

8. The article of footwear of claim 7 , wherein a plurality of loft portions in the first loft zone form a pattern in the exterior layer.

9. The article of footwear of claim 7 , wherein the first loft zone extends from a medial side of the knitted component to a lateral side of the knitted component in a midfoot region of the knitted component.

10. The article of footwear of claim 7 , wherein the first loft zone comprises a plurality of apertures extending through the exterior layer and forming part of a closure system.

11. The article of footwear of claim 7 , further comprising a second loft zone knitted into the knitted component and comprising a plurality of loft portions adjacent the void having a second width, wherein the second width differs from the first width.

12. The article of footwear of claim 11 , wherein the second loft zone is located in a throat portion of the knitted component.

13. A method of knitting a component, comprising:
knitting a plurality of pockets between overlapping and integrally knit areas of an elasticated first layer and a second layer; and
knitting at least one course of a material within each pocket such that the material projects into the each pocket and causes the second layer to extend away from the first layer by about 2-5 mm; and
wherein knitting the plurality of pockets comprises knitting a plurality of connection points, each connection point separated by a distance of about 4-10 mm and comprising a single interlayer knit stitch between the elasticated first layer and the second layer to form a recess in the second layer at the locations of each connection point, each recess having a depth of about 2-5 mm and extending at least partially in a wale-wise direction.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein knitting the each pocket comprises knitting the elasticated first layer under tension.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein knitting the at least one course of the material comprises knitting at least one float.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein knitting the at least one course of the material comprises knitting at least one float, wherein the at least one float comprises a first float having a first float length and a second float having a second float length.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein knitting the at least one course of the material comprises knitting the at least one course of the material into the elasticated first layer and the second layer.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein knitting each pocket comprises causing the elasticated first layer to pull against the second layer via the each connection point.

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Schoppel Andreas I
• Stevens Erin C
• Wiberg Seth M

Classifications

• D04B1/22

  specially adapted for knitting goods of particular configuration · CPC title

• D04B21/145

  with stitches drawn from loose fibres, e.g. web-knitted fabrics · CPC title

• A43B23/028 Primary

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

• A43B1/04 Primary

  braided, knotted, knitted or crocheted · CPC title

• D04B1/102

  with stitch pattern (D04B1/06, D04B1/08 take precedence) · CPC title