Knitted component and method of manufacturing the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017145604-A1
Application number	US-201715402878-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 10, 2017
Priority date	Mar 15, 2011
Publication date	May 25, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

In one aspect, the present disclosure provides a knitted component comprising a course with a plurality of loops. An inlaid strand formed of a second yarn may be included in the knitted component. A first portion of the course may be formed with a first yarn and a second portion of the course may be formed with the second yarn. The inlaid strand may be inlaid within the first portion of the course.

First claim

We claim:

1 . A knitted component comprising:
a course with a plurality of loops; and an inlaid strand formed of a second yarn, wherein a first portion of the course is formed with a first yarn, wherein a second portion of the course is formed with the second yarn, and wherein the inlaid strand is inlaid within the first portion of the course.

2 . The knitted component of claim 1 , wherein the first portion of the course and the second portion of the course form a continuous course of the knitted component.

3 . The knitted component of claim 1 , wherein the course is a first course, and wherein the inlaid strand is further inlaid within a second course, the second course being a different course than the first course.

4 . The knitted component of claim 3 , wherein the second course includes loops that are intermeshed with loops of the first course.

5 . The knitted component of claim 1 , wherein a first portion of the second yarn forms the loops of the second course, and wherein a second portion of the second yarn forms the inlaid strand.

6 . The knitted component of claim 5 , wherein a third portion of the second yarn extends from the first portion of the second yarn to the second portion of the second yarn.

7 . The knitted component of claim 1 , wherein the first yarn is dispensed from a first feeder of a knitting machine, and wherein the second yarn is dispensed from a second feeder of the knitting machine.

8 . A method for forming a knitted component with a knitting machine having a first feeder and a second feeder, the method comprising:
moving the first feeder along at least one needle bed to form a first portion of a course of the knitted component from a first yarn, wherein a dispensing tip of the first feeder dispenses the first yarn; positioning a dispensing tip of a second feeder at a first elevation and moving the second feeder along the at least one needle bed to inlay a second yarn into the first portion of the course, wherein the dispensing tip of the second feeder dispenses the second yarn; and positioning the dispensing tip of the second feeder at a second elevation and moving the second feeder along the at least one needle bed to form a second portion of the course.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the first portion of the course and the second portion of the course form a continuous course of the knitted component.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the at least one needle bed of the knitting machine includes a first needle bed with first needles on a first plane and a second needle bed with second needles on a second plane, and
wherein the dispensing tip of the second feeder is at the first elevation, the dispensing tip of the second feeder is below an intersection of the first plane and the second plane.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the dispensing tip of the second feeder is at the second elevation, the dispensing tip of the second feeder is above the intersection of the first plane and the second plane.

12 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising inlaying the second yarn in a second course with the second feeder, the second course being a different course than the first course.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the first course includes loops that are intermeshed with loops of the second course.

14 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising inlaying the second yarn in a third course with the second feeder.

15 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the step of moving the second feeder along the at least one needle bed to form a second portion of the course includes forming a plurality of loops of the course with the second yarn.

16 . A knitted component, the knitted component comprising:
a first course with a plurality of first loops formed of a first yarn; a second course with a plurality of second loops formed with a second yarn, the second course being different a different course than the first course; and an inlaid strand that is inlaid within the first course, wherein second yarn forms the inlaid strand.

17 . The knitted component of claim 16 , wherein the first loops are intermeshed with the second loops.

18 . The knitted component of claim 16 , wherein a first portion of the second yarn forms the second loops, and wherein a second portion of the second yarn forms the inlaid strand.

19 . The knitted component of claim 18 , wherein a third portion of the second yarn extends from the first portion of the second yarn to the second portion of the second yarn.

20 . The knitted component of claim 16 , wherein the first yarn is dispensed from a first feeder of a knitting machine, and wherein the second yarn is dispensed from a second feeder of the knitting machine.

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Dua Bhupesh
• Huffa Bruce

Classifications

• A43B23/042

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

• D10B2501/043

  Footwear · CPC title

• D04B15/56

  for flat-bed knitting machines · CPC title

• A43B23/0215

  Plastics or artificial leather · CPC title

• D10B2403/032

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