Knit textiles and uppers, and processes for making the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11261549-B2
Application number	US-201815962784-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 25, 2018
Priority date	Nov 9, 2016
Publication date	Mar 1, 2022
Grant date	Mar 1, 2022

Abstract

Articles of wear having one or more textiles that include a low processing temperature polymeric composition and a high processing temperature polymeric composition, and methods of manufacturing the same are disclosed. The low processing temperature polymeric composition and the high processing temperature polymeric composition can be selectively incorporated into a textile to provide one or more structural properties and/or other advantageous properties to the article. The textile can be thermoformed to impart such structural and/or other advantageous properties to the article of wear. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A process for manufacturing a thermoformed knit article, comprising: providing a knit textile comprising a first yarn and a second yarn in a unitary knit construction, wherein, in the unitary knit construction, the first yarn and the second yarn are knitted together, or the second yarn is knitted in a knit structure, and the first yarn is at least partially inlaid or otherwise inserted into the knit structure to form the unitary knit construction, the first yarn comprising a low processing temperature polymeric composition comprising one or more first thermoplastic polymers, the second yarn comprising a high processing temperature polymeric composition, the knit textile comprising: a first zone comprising the second yarn, a second zone comprising the first yarn and the second yarn, and a third zone comprising the first yarn, wherein the second zone is positioned between the first and third zones, wherein the first zone comprises a higher concentration of the second yarn than the second zone, and wherein the third zone comprises a higher concentration of the first yarn than the second zone, wherein the first zone, second zone, and third zone are knitted together in the unitary knit construction, with the first and second zones directly connected to each other, and the second and third zones directly connected to each other, wherein the second zone comprises at least two subzones, wherein each subzone includes a different concentration of the first yarn and the second yarn in each zone and each of the at least two subzones have a staggered interface with the other subzones; masking a first area of the knit textile and heating a second area of the knit textile, wherein the second area of the knit textile includes the second and third zones; placing at least a portion of the knit textile on a molding surface; and while the at least a portion of the knit textile is on the molding surface, heating the second area of the knit textile comprises increasing a temperature of the knit textile to a temperature that is above a melting temperature T m of the low processing temperature polymeric composition and below at least one of: 1) a creep relaxation temperature T cr ; 2) a heat deflection temperature T hd ; or 3) a Vicat softening temperature T vs of the high processing temperature polymeric composition, thereby thermoforming the knit textile; wherein, in the thermoformed knit textile, the first zone is flexible and pliable, the third zone is rigid or semi-rigid, and the second zone forms a seamless, integrated transition from the rigid or semi-rigid third zone to the flexible and pliable first zone.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein masking the first area comprises masking the third zone.

3. The process of claim 2 , wherein masking the first area comprises masking the second zone.

4. The process of claim 3 , wherein masking the first area comprises masking the first zone.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein masking the first area comprises masking the first yarn.

6. The process of claim 5 , wherein masking the first area comprises heating the second yarn.

7. The process of claim 1 , wherein the second area is substantially free of the first yarn.

8. The process of claim 1 , further comprising a steaming step following the masking step.

9. The process of claim 1 ,
wherein the knit textile forms at least part of an upper for an article of footwear; and
wherein the third zone forms at least part of at least one of a midfoot area, a heel area, and a toe-box area.

10. The process of claim 9 ,
wherein the second zone forms at least part of at least one of a sole perimeter area, the heel area, the toe-box area, and the midfoot area.

11. The process of claim 10 ,
wherein the first zone forms at least part of at least one of the heel area, the midfoot area, a ground-facing outsole area, a forefoot opening area and an ankle collar area.

12. The process of claim 1 , wherein the one or more first thermoplastic polymers of the first yarn include one or more thermoplastic polymers selected from the group consisting of polyesters, polyethers, polyamides, polyurethanes and polyolefins.

13. The process of claim 1 , wherein the one or more first thermoplastic polymers comprises a thermoplastic polyamide, a thermoplastic poly(ether-block-amide) or a thermoplastic polyurethane, and the first low processing temperature polymeric composition exhibits a melting temperature T m of about 80 degrees centigrade to about 135 degrees centigrade, exhibits a glass transition temperature T g of about 50 degrees centigrade or less, exhibits a melt flow index of about 0.1 grams per 10 min to about 60 grams per 10 min at 160 degrees centigrade using a test weight of 2.16 kilograms, exhibits an enthalpy of melting of at least 5 joules per grams, or exhibits a modulus of about 1 megapascal to about 500 megapascal.

14. The process of claim 13 , wherein the low processing temperature polymeric composition exhibits a melting temperature T m that is from 80 degrees centigrade to 135 degrees centigrade.

15. The process of claim 1 , wherein the high processing temperature polymeric composition exhibits a melting temperature T m of greater than 140 degrees centigrade.

16. The process of claim 1 , wherein the knit textile is a component of an article of footwear, a component of an article of apparel, or is a component of an article of sporting equipment.

17. The process of claim 16 , wherein the knit textile is a component of an article of footwear.

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Adami Giovanni
• Amis Sam
• Cavaliere Sergio
• Green Jessica
• Hipp Stephen
• Hurd John
• Molyneux James
• Rushbrook Thomas J
• Smith Timothy J
• Wincek Christianna

Classifications

• A43B23/0215 Primary

  Plastics or artificial leather · CPC title

• D04B1/24 Primary

  wearing apparel · CPC title

• D04B1/16

  synthetic threads · CPC title

• D04B1/12 Primary

  characterised by thread material · CPC title

• B29D35/06

  having soles or heels formed and joined on to preformed uppers using a moulding technique, e.g. by injection moulding, pressing and vulcanising · CPC title