Article of footwear incorporating a curved knitted lacing element
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorLia Uesato
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An article of footwear includes an upper incorporating a knitted component formed of unitary knit construction. The knitted component includes a curved lacing element formed by incorporating shortened knit courses relative to lace apertures along the lacing structure. After knitting, the knitted component may be steamed to create offset lace apertures as well as alternating convex and concave curves along the lacing element. The curved lacing element of the knitted component may be configured to distribute tension applied by a lace on the knitted component when the article of footwear is worn during a sport or athletic activity.
Claims36
A knitted lacing element comprising:
- a boundary;
- a first lace aperture disposed proximate the boundary, wherein the boundary defines a convex shape proximate the first lace aperture;
- and
- a plurality of knit courses that comprise:
- a first knit course and a second knit course extending from the boundary, wherein the first lace aperture is disposed between the first knit course and the second knit course;
- and
- a first contour section comprising at least one shortened knit course extending between the first lace aperture and the boundary, and wherein
- the first knit course and the second knit course are interlooped with the first contour section between the first lace aperture and the boundary, and
- the first knit course is interlooped with the second knit course on an opposite side of the first lace aperture.
An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the upper incorporating a knitted component comprising:
- a first lacing element having a first inner boundary and a first lace aperture disposed proximate the first inner boundary, the first lacing element being formed by a first plurality of knit courses, wherein the first plurality of knit courses comprises:
- a first contour section comprising at least one shortened knit course extending between the first lace aperture and the first inner boundary such that the first inner boundary includes a convex shape adjacent to the first inner boundary;
- a first knit course and a second knit course extending from the first inner boundary, wherein the first lace aperture is disposed between the first knit course and the second knit course, and wherein:
- the first knit course and the second knit course are interlooped with the first contour section between the first inner boundary and the first lace aperture;
- and
- the first knit course is interlooped with the second knit course on an opposite side of the first lace aperture.
A method of forming an upper of an article of footwear having a knitted component, the method comprising:
- knitting a first portion of the knitted component with at least one course, the first portion extending from a first boundary toward a second boundary;
- knitting a second portion of the knitted component with at least one course, the second portion extending from the first boundary toward a first aperture located between the first boundary and the second boundary, the first portion being interloped with the second portion between the first boundary and the first aperture;
- knitting a third portion of the knitted component, the third portion formed of unitary knit construction with the second portion and the first portion, the third portion comprising at least one course, the third portion extending from the first boundary toward the second boundary, the third portion being interlooped with the second portion between the first boundary and the first aperture, the third portion being interlooped with the first portion between the first aperture and the second boundary.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.