Upper for article of footwear incorporating a knitted butterfly workpiece

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12150513-B2
Application number	US-202217932122-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 14, 2022
Priority date	Sep 14, 2022
Publication date	Nov 26, 2024
Grant date	Nov 26, 2024

Abstract

An article of footwear incorporating an upper formed by a forefoot component, a knitted workpiece, and a heel component is described. Each of the forefoot component, the knitted workpiece, and the heel component are separate from each other and joined along connection areas. Reinforcement elements cover the connection areas. In one embodiment, the knitted workpiece includes a collar portion and a throat portion extending from a forward end of the collar portion. The knitted workpiece also includes a medial lobe extending from one side of the throat portion and a lateral lobe extending from an opposite side of the throat portion from the medial lobe. The collar portion, the throat portion, the medial lobe, and the lateral lobe form a single unified knitted workpiece.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An upper for article of footwear, comprising:
a knitted workpiece disposed in a midfoot region of the upper and at least a portion of a heel region of the upper, the knitted workpiece comprising:
a collar portion in the heel region of the upper that defines an opening for the upper;
a throat portion that extends from a forward end of the collar portion to a front end in a direction towards a forefoot region of the upper;
a medial lobe in the midfoot region of the upper that extends outward in a lateral direction from one side of the throat portion towards a medial side of the upper; and
a lateral lobe in the midfoot region of the upper that extends outward in a lateral direction from an opposite side of the throat portion from the medial lobe towards a lateral side of the upper;
wherein the collar portion, the throat portion, the lateral lobe, and the medial lobe are formed of a unified knit composition comprising at least one continuous yarn or thread looped into a plurality of rows that define a shape of the knitted workpiece;

a forefoot component disposed in the forefoot region of the upper, the forefoot component attached to the knitted workpiece along a first attachment area on the medial side of the upper and a second attachment area on the lateral side of the upper; and
a heel component disposed in the heel region of the upper, the heel component attached to the knitted workpiece along a third attachment area on the medial side of the upper and a fourth attachment area on the lateral side of the upper.

2. The upper according to claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of reinforcement elements disposed over the first attachment area, the second attachment area, the third attachment area, and the fourth attachment area.

3. The upper according to claim 2 , wherein a first reinforcement element of the plurality of reinforcement elements is disposed over the third attachment area on the medial side;
wherein a second reinforcement element of the plurality of reinforcement elements is disposed over both of the first attachment area on the medial side and the second attachment area on the lateral side; and
wherein a third reinforcement element of the plurality of reinforcement elements is disposed over the fourth attachment area on the lateral side.

4. The upper according to claim 3 , wherein the forefoot component is attached to the knitted workpiece along a front side of the medial lobe on the medial side of the upper at the first attachment area and along a front side of the lateral lobe on the lateral side of the upper at the second attachment area.

5. The upper according to claim 4 , wherein the second reinforcement element is further disposed over the front end of the throat portion of the knitted workpiece and the forefoot component.

6. The upper according to claim 2 , further comprising a plurality of apertures for receiving a lace on one or more of the plurality of reinforcement elements.

7. The upper according to claim 6 , wherein each reinforcement element of the plurality of reinforcement elements includes a ridge extending through a middle of the reinforcement element.

8. The upper according to claim 7 , wherein at least two lace apertures of the plurality of apertures are located above the ridge of each reinforcement element; and
wherein at least two apertures of the plurality of apertures are located beneath the ridge of each reinforcement element.

9. The upper according to claim 3 , wherein the heel component is attached to the knitted workpiece along a rear side of the medial lobe on the medial side of the upper at the third attachment area and along a rear side of the lateral lobe on the lateral side of the upper at the fourth attachment area.

10. The upper according to claim 1 , wherein a top edge of the forefoot component abuts with the front end of the throat portion of the knitted workpiece.

11. The upper according to claim 1 , wherein a top edge of the heel component abuts with edges of the collar portion of the knitted workpiece.

12. An article of footwear, comprising:
an upper, the upper including:
a knitted workpiece disposed in a midfoot region of the upper and at least a portion of a heel region of the upper, the knitted workpiece comprising:
a collar portion in the heel region of the upper that defines an opening for the upper;
a throat portion that extends from a forward end of the collar portion to a front end in a direction towards a forefoot region of the upper:
a medial lobe in the midfoot region of the upper that extends outward in a lateral direction from one side of the throat portion towards a medial side of the upper; and
a lateral lobe in the midfoot region of the upper that extends outward in a lateral direction from an opposite side of the throat portion from the medial lobe towards a lateral side of the upper;
wherein the collar portion, the throat portion, the medial lobe, and the lateral lobe form a single unified knitted workpiece comprising at least one continuous yarn or thread looped into a plurality of rows that define a shape of the knitted workpiece;

a forefoot component disposed in the forefoot region of the upper, the forefoot component attached to the knitted workpiece along a first attachment area on the medial side of the upper and a second attachment area on the lateral side of the upper; and
a heel component disposed in the heel region of the upper, the heel component attached to the knitted workpiece along a third attachment area on the medial side of the upper and a fourth attachment area on the lateral side of the upper;

a first reinforcement element disposed over the third attachment area on the medial side of the upper;
a second reinforcement element disposed over both of the first attachment area on the medial side of the upper and the second attachment area on the lateral side of the upper;
a third reinforcement element disposed over the fourth attachment area on the lateral side of the upper; and
a sole assembly attached to the upper.

13. The article of footwear according to claim 12 , wherein each of the first reinforcement element, the second reinforcement element, and the third reinforcement element includes a plurality of apertures configured to receive a lace.

14. The article of footwear according to claim 12 , wherein the forefoot component is attached to the knitted workpiece along a front side of the medial lobe on the medial side of the upper at the first attachment area and along a front side of the lateral lobe on the lateral side of the upper at the second attachment area.

15. The article of footwear according to claim 14 , wherein the heel component is attached to the knitted workpiece along a rear side of the medial lobe on the medial side of the upper at the third attachment area and along a rear side of the lateral lobe on the lateral side of the upper at the fourth attachment area.

16. The article of footwear according to claim 15 , wherein edges of the medial lobe and the lateral lobe are attached at an upper edge of the sole assembly such that the medial lobe and the lateral lobe do not extend beneath a foot of a wearer of the article of footwear.

Assignees

• Lululemon Athletica Canada Inc

Inventors

• Rathburn Samuel Scott
• Fleming Kathryn Carey
• Murphy Mark Francis

Classifications

• A43B23/02

  Uppers; Boot legs · CPC title

• D04B1/10

  Patterned fabrics or articles · CPC title

• A43B1/04 Primary

  braided, knotted, knitted or crocheted · CPC title

• D10B2403/032

  Flat fabric of variable width, e.g. including one or more fashioned panels · CPC title

• D10B2501/043

  Footwear · CPC title