Articles of footwear and apparel having a partially fused fabric portion and methods of making the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12269231-B2
Application number	US-202016915111-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 29, 2020
Priority date	Jun 2, 2016
Publication date	Apr 8, 2025
Grant date	Apr 8, 2025

Abstract

An article of footwear can include an upper. The upper includes a knitted portion having yarns partially fused to adjacent yarns and filaments of the partially fused yarns that are partially fused to adjacent filaments. Methods for manufacturing an article of footwear including an upper having a partially fused knitted portion include applying heat with or without pressure to form the partially fused knitted portions.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An article of footwear comprising:
an upper comprising a fabric portion comprising a sandwich mesh comprising a first layer, a second layer, and spacer yarns between the first and second layer,
wherein the first layer comprises yarns formed from filaments, the filaments comprising a material having a first melting temperature that is equal to or less than 140° Celsius;
the yarns partially fused such that the each yarn of the yarns is fused to an adjacent yarn of the yarns and the filaments of the partially fused yarns are partially fused to adjacent filaments such that the yarns and filaments do not form a continuous, non-textile material,
wherein the adjacent filaments that are partially fused to each other cannot move with respect to each other, and
wherein the first layer comprises a copolyamide, the second layer comprises spandex, and the spacer yarns comprise polyester.

2. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the fabric portion is embossed.

3. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the sandwich mesh comprises nylon and spandex.

4. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the upper comprises a second fabric portion connected to the fabric portion, wherein the second fabric portion further comprises a second plurality of yarns comprising a second material having a second melting temperature, and wherein the first melting temperature is lower than the second melting temperature.

5. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the fabric portion has a tensile strength such that the fabric portion displaces less than 10% of an unstressed dimension of the fabric portion when a 100 N force is applied to the fabric portion and the fabric portion does not plastically deform when a 150 N force is applied to the fabric portion, and wherein the fabric portion has a tear strength such that the knitted portion does not tear when a 40 N force is applied to the fabric portion.

6. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the upper is a one-piece upper.

7. An article of footwear comprising:
an upper comprising a fabric portion comprising:
a first layer having a first plurality of yarns formed from first filaments comprising a copolyamide material having a first melting temperature;
a second layer having a second plurality of yarns formed from second filaments comprising polyester and spandex materials, the second filaments having a second melting temperature different than the first melting temperature; and
spacer yarns between the first layer and the second layer comprising a polyester material,
wherein the first plurality of yarns and the second plurality of yarns are partially fused to adjacent yarns of the first plurality of yarns and of the second plurality of yarns, respectively, and the filaments of the first plurality of yarns and of the second plurality of yarns are partially fused to adjacent filaments of the first plurality of yarns and of the second plurality of yarns, respectively, such that the first plurality of yarns and filaments and the second plurality of yarns and the first and second filaments do not form a continuous, non-textile material, and
wherein the first melting temperature of the copolyamide material is lower than the second melting temperature of the polyester and spandex materials in the second filaments.

8. The article of footwear of claim 7 , wherein the fabric portion is embossed.

9. The article of footwear of claim 7 , wherein the spacer yarns comprises nylon and spandex.

10. The article of footwear of claim 7 , wherein the fabric portion has a tensile strength such that the fabric portion displaces less than 10% of an unstressed dimension of the fabric portion when a 100 N force is applied to the fabric portion and the fabric portion does not plastically deform when a 150 N force is applied to the fabric portion, and
wherein the fabric portion has a tear strength such that the knitted portion does not tear when a 40 N force is applied to the fabric portion.

11. The article of footwear of claim 7 , wherein the upper is a one-piece upper.

12. An article of footwear, comprising
an upper comprising a fabric portion comprising a sandwich mesh comprising a first layer, a second layer, and spacer yarns between the first and second layer,
wherein the first layer comprises yarns formed from monofilaments of a first material having a melting temperature equal to or less than 140° Celsius,
the yarns partially fused such that the yarns are fused to adjacent other of the yarns and the monofilaments of the partially fused yarns are partially fused to adjacent other of the monofilaments such that the yarns and filaments do not form a continuous, non-textile material,
wherein the partially fused yarns are formed into a plurality of non-linear elongated ribs, and
wherein the first layer comprises a copolyamide, the second layer comprises spandex, and the spacer yarns comprise polyester.

13. The article of claim 12 , wherein adjacent monofilaments that are partially fused to each other cannot move with respect to each other.

Assignees

• Adidas Ag

Inventors

• Leimer Robert
• Freeman Warren
• Wardlaw Angus
• Groeneweg Nicholas
• Ling Henry

Classifications

• B29C43/184

  shaped by the compression of the material during moulding · CPC title

• A43B23/042

  Uppers made of one piece (one piece slippers A43B3/106; one piece sandals A43B3/124) · CPC title

• A43B23/026 Primary

  Laminated layers · CPC title

• A43B23/0235

  Different layers of different material · CPC title

• A43B23/0225

  Composite materials, e.g. material with a matrix · CPC title