Engineered braided tube

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11375769-B2
Application number	US-201816016345-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 22, 2018
Priority date	Jun 27, 2017
Publication date	Jul 5, 2022
Grant date	Jul 5, 2022

Abstract

A braided component for an article of apparel or footwear may be formed by application of a method that utilizes a braiding machine to braid a plurality of braiding yarns to form a tubular structure with a plurality of axial yarns incorporated into the tubular structure during braiding. At least two different types of axial yarn may be incorporated into the braided component, for example, to provide different properties to different parts of the tubular structure.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1. A method of forming a braided component for an article of footwear on a braiding machine, the method comprising:
braiding a plurality of braiding yarns over an essentially cylindrical element to form the braided component so that the braided component comprises a tubular structure defining at least a midfoot region, wherein the essentially cylindrical element comprises a meltable component, wherein a braiding angle of the braiding yarns is varied along a longitudinal direction of the midfoot region of the braided component;
incorporating a plurality of axial yarns into the tubular structure during braiding, wherein at least two different types of axial yarn including at least a first type of axial yarn and a different, second type of axial yarn are incorporated into the braided component;
after braiding the braided component over said meltable component, melting said meltable component such that the braided component and the meltable component form one integral unit; and
arranging the integral unit on a last.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first type of axial yarn has a different composition than the second type of axial yarn.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first type of axial yarn comprises a different tex value than the second type of axial yarn.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first type of axial yarn comprises at least one of a different elasticity or a different bending stiffness than the second type of axial yarn.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein an arrangement of the axial yarns varies over a circumference of the tubular structure of the braided component.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the tubular structure of the braided component formed by the braiding comprises a first region at a first position along the longitudinal direction of the midfoot region and a second region at a second position along the longitudinal direction of the midfoot region;
wherein braiding yarns are arranged:
in the first region at a first angle relative to the longitudinal direction of the midfoot region; and
in the second region at a second angle relative to the longitudinal direction of the midfoot region, wherein the second angle is smaller than the first angle.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the braiding yarns or the axial yarns comprise at least one melt yarn.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first type of axial yarn is arranged in a first area of the braided component, but not in a second area, and wherein the second type of axial yarn is arranged in the second area, but not in the first area.

9. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising forming an upper of the article of footwear from the integral unit after the axial yarns have been incorporated.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the first area is located in a bottom portion of the upper and the second area is located in an instep portion of the upper.

11. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the first area is located in at least one of a lateral or a medial portion of the upper and the second area is located in an instep portion of the upper.

12. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the first area is located in a lateral portion of the upper and the second area is located in a medial portion of the upper.

13. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising consolidating the integral unit.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein consolidating comprises at least one of:
using a binder;
using a polymer coating;
heating at least part of the integral unit; or
application of a lamination technique.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the consolidating comprises application of a lamination technique and the lamination technique comprises the use of polyurethane, thermoplastic polyurethane, polyamide, polyolefins, or vinyl-based films.

16. The method according to claim 14 , wherein the consolidating comprises application of a lamination technique and the lamination technique comprises vacuum forming.

17. A braided component for an article of footwear having a tubular structure, wherein the braided component comprises a plurality of braiding yarns and a plurality of incorporated axial yarns, wherein at least two different types of axial yarn including at least a first type of axial yarn and a different, second type of axial yarn are incorporated into the braided component, wherein a braiding angle of the braiding yarns is varied along a longitudinal direction of a midfoot region of the braided component, wherein the braided component forms one integral unit with a meltable component, the entire meltable component corresponding to an essentially cylindrical element over which the braided component was braided and which has been melted to form the integral unit with the braided component, wherein the integral unit is arrangeable on a last.

18. The braided component according to claim 17 , wherein the first type of axial yarn differs from the second type of axial yarn in at least one of:
a composition;
a tex value;
an elasticity; or
a bending stiffness.

19. The braided component according to claim 17 , wherein at least one of:
an arrangement of said axial yarns varies over a circumference of the tubular structure of the braided component; or
the braiding yarns and/or the axial yarns comprise at least one melt yarn.

20. The braided component according to claim 17 , wherein an upper for the article of footwear comprises the integral unit, wherein the first type of axial yarn is arranged in a first area of the braided component, but not in a second area, and wherein the second type of axial yarn is arranged in the second area, but not in the first area, and wherein:
the first area is located in a bottom portion of the upper and the second area is located in an instep portion of the upper;
the first area is located in at least one of a lateral portion or a medial portion of the upper and the second area is located in an instep portion of the upper; or
the first area is located in a lateral portion of the upper and the second area is located in a medial portion of the upper.

21. The braided component according to claim 20 , wherein the upper comprises a laminate comprising at least one of a polyurethane material, a thermoplastic polyurethane material, a polyamide material, a polyolefin material, or a vinyl-based film.

22. A shoe, comprising:
an upper comprising a braided component having a tubular structure, wherein the braided component comprises a plurality of braiding yarns and a plurality of incorporated axial yarns, wherein at least two different types of axial yarn including at least a first type of axial yarn and a different, second type of axial yarn are incorporated into the braided component, wherein a braiding angle of the braiding yarns is varied along a longitudinal direction of a midfoot region of the braided component, wherein the braided component forms one integral unit with a meltable component, the entire meltable component corresponding to an essentially cylindrical element over which the braided component was braided and which has been melted to form the integral unit with the braided component; and
an outsole.

23. The shoe of claim 22 , wherein the first type of axial yarn differs from the second type of axial yarn in at least one of:
a composition;
a tex value;
an elasticit

Assignees

• Adidas Ag

Inventors

• O'Haire Tom
• Yip Andrew

Classifications

• A43B5/00

  Footwear for sporting purposes (non-skid devices, e.g. ice-spurs or studs for football shoes, A43C15/00) · CPC title

• A43B1/028

  Synthetic or artificial fibres · CPC title

• A43B1/04 Primary

  braided, knotted, knitted or crocheted · CPC title

• D10B2401/041

  thermoplastic; thermosetting · CPC title

• A43B23/0265

  having different properties in different directions · CPC title