Upper for an article of footwear with first and second knitted portions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12349759-B2
Application number	US-202217840135-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 14, 2022
Priority date	May 5, 2017
Publication date	Jul 8, 2025
Grant date	Jul 8, 2025

Abstract

An upper may include a first knitted portion configured to form an outer surface of the upper, a second knitted portion configured to form an inner surface of the upper, where the second knitted portion is at least partially coextensive with the first knitted portion, an interstitial space between the first knitted portion and the second knitted portion, and a knitted connection structure connecting the first knitted portion to the second knitted portion. The knitted connection structure may extend at least partially along at least one of a tongue and a collar of the upper, and the second knitted portion may include at least one double jersey knit structure that is coextensive with the first knitted portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of knitting a shoe upper, the method comprising:
knitting, as part of a first layer of the shoe upper, a first area having a first width extending in a medial-to-lateral orientation;
knitting, as part of the first layer of the shoe upper, first courses of the first layer, the first courses having a second width;
knitting, as part of a second layer of the shoe upper, second courses that are continuous with the first courses, the second courses having a third width;
knitting, after the second courses, and as part of the second layer of the shoe upper, a second area having a fourth width extending in the medial-to-lateral orientation,
wherein the second width and the third width are more narrow than the first width and the fourth width;
wherein during the knitting a knitted connection structure is formed between the first layer and the second layer by holding loops on needles of a needle bed for a certain number of courses; and
folding, along the knitted connection structure, the first layer and/or the second layer that are coextensive with each other about the knitted connection structure to thereby from a wearable shape of the shoe upper that includes an inner surface and an outer surface.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first layer and the second layer that are coextensive each include a double jersey knit structure.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the knitted connection structure extends along at least part of a terminal edge of a collar of the shoe upper.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the knitted connection structure extends along at least part of a terminal edge of a tongue of the shoe upper.

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Dealey Stuart W

Classifications

• D10B2403/032

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

• D10B2501/061

  Piped openings (pockets) · CPC title

• D10B2403/023

  Fabric with at least two, predominantly unlinked, knitted or woven plies interlaced with each other at spaced locations or linked to a common internal co-extensive yarn system · CPC title

• D04B1/22

  specially adapted for knitting goods of particular configuration · CPC title

• A43B23/0295

  Pieced uppers · CPC title