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US 12,269,231 B2Granted
Articles of footwear and apparel having a partially fused fabric portion and methods of making the same
Assigneeadidas AG
InventorsRobert Leimer, Warren Freeman, Angus Wardlaw, Nicholas Groeneweg, Henry Ling
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An article of footwear can include an upper. The upper includes a knitted portion having yarns partially fused to adjacent yarns and filaments of the partially fused yarns that are partially fused to adjacent filaments. Methods for manufacturing an article of footwear including an upper having a partially fused knitted portion include applying heat with or without pressure to form the partially fused knitted portions.
Claims13
An article of footwear comprising:
- an upper comprising a fabric portion comprising a sandwich mesh comprising a first layer, a second layer, and spacer yarns between the first and second layer,
- wherein the first layer comprises yarns formed from filaments, the filaments comprising a material having a first melting temperature that is equal to or less than 140° Celsius;
- the yarns partially fused such that the each yarn of the yarns is fused to an adjacent yarn of the yarns and the filaments of the partially fused yarns are partially fused to adjacent filaments such that the yarns and filaments do not form a continuous, non-textile material,
- wherein the adjacent filaments that are partially fused to each other cannot move with respect to each other, and
- wherein the first layer comprises a copolyamide, the second layer comprises spandex, and the spacer yarns comprise polyester.
2 more elements
An article of footwear comprising:
- an upper comprising a fabric portion comprising:
- a first layer having a first plurality of yarns formed from first filaments comprising a copolyamide material having a first melting temperature;
- a second layer having a second plurality of yarns formed from second filaments comprising polyester and spandex materials, the second filaments having a second melting temperature different than the first melting temperature;
- and
- spacer yarns between the first layer and the second layer comprising a polyester material,
- wherein the first plurality of yarns and the second plurality of yarns are partially fused to adjacent yarns of the first plurality of yarns and of the second plurality of yarns, respectively, and the filaments of the first plurality of yarns and of the second plurality of yarns are partially fused to adjacent filaments of the first plurality of yarns and of the second plurality of yarns, respectively, such that the first plurality of yarns and filaments and the second plurality of yarns and the first and second filaments do not form a continuous, non-textile material, and
- wherein the first melting temperature of the copolyamide material is lower than the second melting temperature of the polyester and spandex materials in the second filaments.
4 more elements
An article of footwear, comprising
- an upper comprising a fabric portion comprising a sandwich mesh comprising a first layer, a second layer, and spacer yarns between the first and second layer,
- wherein the first layer comprises yarns formed from monofilaments of a first material having a melting temperature equal to or less than 140° Celsius,
- the yarns partially fused such that the yarns are fused to adjacent other of the yarns and the monofilaments of the partially fused yarns are partially fused to adjacent other of the monofilaments such that the yarns and filaments do not form a continuous, non-textile material,
- wherein the partially fused yarns are formed into a plurality of non-linear elongated ribs, and
- wherein the first layer comprises a copolyamide, the second layer comprises spandex, and the spacer yarns comprise polyester.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.