Footwear upper with knitted component and method of manufacturing the same
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorsJohn S. MacGilbert, William C. McFarland, II
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of knitting a knitted component for an upper of an article of footwear is provided. The method may include using a flat knitting machine. The upper may be configured to receive a foot of a wearer. The method may include performing a pass of at least one yarn feeder along the longitudinal axis relative to first and second needle beds, feeding at least one yarn with the at least one feeder during the pass, forming, during the pass, a plurality of first loops with the first needles to define a first portion of the knitted component, and forming, during the pass, a plurality of second loops with the second needles to define a second portion of the knitted component.
Claims20
A method of knitting a knitted component for an upper of an article of footwear using a flat knitting machine, the upper configured to receive a foot of a wearer, wherein the flat knitting machine includes a first needle bed with a plurality of first needles arranged along a longitudinal axis, and wherein the flat knitting machine includes a second needle bed with a plurality of second needles arranged along the longitudinal axis, wherein the method comprises:
- performing at least one pass of at least one yarn feeder along the longitudinal axis relative to the first and second needle beds to form a knit element;
- feeding at least one yarn with the at least one feeder during the at least one pass;
- forming, during the at least one pass, a plurality of first loops with the first needles to define a first portion of the knitted component;
- forming, during the at least one pass, a plurality of second loops with the second needles to define a second portion of the knitted component;
- and
- placing a tensile element within the knit element, wherein the tensile element is distinct from the at least one yarn forming the first loops and the second loops, and wherein the tensile element extends through the first portion of the knitted component and the second portion of the knitted component,
- wherein the first portion defines an overfoot member of the upper, the overfoot member configured to cover over the foot of the wearer, and
- wherein the second portion defines an underfoot member of the upper, the underfoot member configured to extend under the foot of the wearer.
A method of knitting a knitted component that includes a knit element and a tensile element, the knitted component configured for an upper of an article of footwear, the upper configured to receive a foot of a wearer, the method comprising:
- performing a pass of a first yarn feeder and a second yarn feeder along a longitudinal axis relative to a first and a second needle bed of a knitting machine;
- feeding a first yarn with the first yarn feeder and a second yarn with the second yarn feeder during the pass;
- forming, during the pass, a plurality of first loops in the first yarn with the first needles to define a first portion of the knit element;
- forming, during the pass, a plurality of second loops in the second yarn with the second needles to define a second portion of the knit element;
- inlaying the tensile element in at least one of the first portion and the second portion while forming the at least one of the first portion and the second portion, wherein the tensile element is distinct from the first yarn and the second yarn;
- wherein the first portion at least partially defines an overfoot member of the upper, the overfoot member configured to cover over the foot of the wearer;
- and
- wherein the second portion at least partially defines an underfoot member of the upper, the underfoot member configured to extend under the foot of the wearer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.