Upper for article of footwear incorporating a knitted butterfly workpiece

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12446650-B2
Application number	US-202418428341-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 31, 2024
Priority date	Sep 14, 2022
Publication date	Oct 21, 2025
Grant date	Oct 21, 2025

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 of an article of footwear including a knitted workpiece, the knitted workpiece comprising:
a throat portion disposed in a midfoot region of the upper extending to a front end of the knitted workpiece;
a collar portion extending rearward from the throat portion at a forward end to a rear end opposite the forward end;
wherein the throat portion extends continuously from the forward end of the collar portion to the front end of the knitted workpiece in a longitudinal direction towards a forefoot region of the upper;
a medial lobe extending from one side of the throat portion;
a lateral lobe extending from an opposite side of the throat portion from the medial lobe;
wherein the throat portion, the collar portion, the medial lobe, and the lateral lobe form a single unified knitted workpiece;
the medial lobe including a front side facing towards the front end of the knitted workpiece and a rear side opposite the front side;
the lateral lobe including a front side facing towards the front end of the knitted workpiece and a rear side opposite the front side;
wherein an outer peripheral edge of the knitted workpiece extends along a front side edge on the front side of the medial lobe, a medial side edge of the medial lobe, and a rear side edge on the rear side of the medial lobe on one side of the upper;
wherein the outer peripheral edge of the knitted workpiece extends along a front side edge on the front side of the lateral lobe, a lateral side edge of the lateral lobe, and a rear side edge on the rear side of the lateral lobe on the opposite side of the upper;
wherein the front side edge of the medial lobe and the front side edge of the lateral lobe are located rearward of the front end of the throat portion in the longitudinal direction towards the collar portion of the upper; and
wherein the rear side edge of the medial lobe and the rear side edge of the lateral lobe are located forward of the forward end of the collar portion in a direction towards the forefoot region of the upper.

2. The upper according to claim 1 , wherein the medial lobe and the lateral lobe are symmetrical.

3. The upper according to claim 1 , wherein the throat portion is at least partially located forward of the medial lobe and the lateral lobe in the longitudinal direction; and
wherein the throat portion is also at least partially located rearward of the medial lobe and the lateral lobe in the longitudinal direction.

4. The upper according to claim 1 , wherein the collar portion encircles an opening.

5. The upper according to claim 4 , wherein rear edges of the collar portion are joined along a seam at the rear end of the collar portion.

6. The upper according to claim 5 , wherein the collar portion is asymmetrical between a medial side and a lateral side.

7. The upper according to claim 6 , wherein the collar portion includes a medial notch on the medial side and a lateral notch on the lateral side; and
wherein the medial notch is located closer to the front end than the lateral notch along a longitudinal direction of the knitted workpiece.

8. The upper according to claim 1 , wherein the outer peripheral edge further extends along a medial side edge of the collar portion and a lateral side edge of the collar portion.

9. The upper according to claim 8 , wherein the outer peripheral edge changes direction at the front side edge on the front side of the medial lobe and the front side edge on the front side of the lateral lobe.

10. The upper according to claim 9 , wherein the outer peripheral edge changes direction at the rear side edge on the rear side of the medial lobe and the rear side edge on the rear side of the lateral lobe.

11. The upper according to claim 1 , wherein the throat portion includes a central portion located between the medial lobe and the lateral lobe.

12. The upper according to claim 1 , wherein the throat portion, the collar portion, the medial lobe, and the lateral lobe forming the single unified knitted workpiece include at least one continuous yarn that is looped into a plurality of rows that define a shape of the knitted workpiece.

13. An upper of an article of footwear including a knitted workpiece, the knitted workpiece comprising:
a throat portion disposed in a midfoot region of the upper extending to a front end of the knitted workpiece;
a collar portion extending rearward from the throat portion at a forward end to a rear end opposite the forward end;
wherein the throat portion extends continuously from the forward end of the collar portion to the front end of the knitted workpiece in a longitudinal direction towards a forefoot region of the upper;
a medial lobe extending from one side of the throat portion;
a lateral lobe extending from an opposite side of the throat portion from the medial lobe;
wherein the throat portion, the collar portion, the medial lobe, and the lateral lobe form a single unified knitted workpiece;
the medial lobe including a front side facing towards the front end of the knitted workpiece and a rear side opposite the front side;
the lateral lobe including a front side facing towards the front end of the knitted workpiece and a rear side opposite the front side; and
wherein the throat portion is between the rear side of the medial lobe and the rear side of the lateral lobe.

14. The upper according to claim 13 , wherein a central portion of the throat portion is between the rear side of the medial lobe and the rear side of the lateral lobe; and
wherein the medial lobe extends from a medial side of the throat portion forward of the collar portion in the midfoot region of the upper, and the lateral lobe extends from the opposite side of the throat portion from the medial lobe forward of the collar portion in a midfoot region of the upper.

15. The upper according to claim 13 , wherein the collar portion encircles an opening.

16. The upper according to claim 15 , wherein rear edges of the collar portion are joined along a seam at the rear end of the collar portion.

17. An upper of an article of footwear including a knitted workpiece, the knitted workpiece comprising:
a throat portion disposed in a midfoot region of the upper extending to a front end of the knitted workpiece;
a collar portion extending rearward from the throat portion at a forward end to a rear end opposite the forward end;
wherein the throat portion extends continuously from the forward end of the collar portion through the instep area of the upper to the front end of the knitted workpiece in a longitudinal direction towards a forefoot region of the upper;
a medial lobe extending outward in a medial direction from one side of the throat portion forward of the collar portion in the midfoot region of the upper and forming at least a portion of a medial side of the upper in the midfoot region;
a lateral lobe extending outward in a lateral direction from an opposite side of the throat portion from the medial lobe forward of the collar portion in the midfoot region of the upper;
wherein the throat portion, the collar portion, the medial lobe, and the lateral lobe form a single unified knitted workpiece;
the medial lobe including a front side facing towards the front end of the knitted workpiece and a rear side opposite the front side;
the lateral lobe including a front side facing towards the front end of the knitted workpiece and a rear side opposite the front side;
wherein the rear side of the medial lobe and the rear side of the lateral lobe are not present in a heel region of the upper; and
wherein the throat portio

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