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US 12,495,851 B2Granted
Apparel and other products incorporating a thermoplastic polymer material
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorsBhupesh Dua, Carrie L. Davis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A yarn or thread may include a plurality of substantially aligned filaments, with at least ninety-five percent of a material of the filaments being a thermoplastic polymer material. Various woven textiles and knitted textiles may be formed from the yarn or thread. The woven textiles or knitted textiles may be thermal bonded to other elements to form seams. A strand that is at least partially formed from a thermoplastic polymer material may extend through the seam, and the strand may be thermal bonded at the seam. The woven textiles or knitted textiles may be shaped or molded, incorporated into products, and recycled to form other products.
Claims20
An article of footwear comprising:
- an upper comprising a textile that defines at least a top area, a rear area, and a lateral area of the upper, wherein the textile includes a plurality of knitted yarn, wherein the textile comprises:
- (i) a first fused region forming a heel counter at the rear area;
- (ii) a second fused region forming an indicia at the lateral area that comprises a shape of a logo;
- (iii) a plurality of lace apertures positioned adjacent to the top area and the lateral area;
- (iv) a tongue filling a void in the upper at the top area;
- and
- (v) a seam that protrudes outward from the upper, the seam includes a length that extends about an outer edge area that is positioned between the top area and the lateral area of the upper, such that the seam positioned between the top area and the latera area is raised radially outwards and the lateral area is separated from the plurality of lace apertures by the seam;
- a sockliner disposed within the upper;
- a midsole includes a composite element comprising a first component and a second component, the first component including a compressible foam that is thermally coupled to the textile of the upper, and the second component including a plate that is coupled to the compressible foam of the first component;
- an outsole coupled to the midsole on an opposite side of the midsole relative to the upper;
- the midsole further comprises a plurality of chambers;
- and
- a lace coupled to the upper and received through the plurality of lace apertures;
- wherein each of the plurality of knitted yarn of the textile, the compressible foam of the midsole, the outsole, the sockliner, and the lace comprises a thermoplastic polymer material such that substantially all of the article of footwear comprises the thermoplastic polymer material, wherein the thermoplastic polymer material comprises a thermoplastic polyamide, and at least a portion of the thermoplastic polyamide comprises a material extracted or recycled from another article of footwear;
- and
- wherein the plurality of knitted yarn positioned at the first fused region and the second fused region are fused together to form non-filamentous portions along the upper.
13 more elements
An article of footwear, comprising:
- an upper comprising a textile comprising a plurality of filaments that are spun together to form a plurality of yarn, and the plurality of yarn is knitted together to form the textile, wherein the plurality of filaments compositionally comprise a thermoplastic polymer material;
- wherein the textile comprises:
- a first set of fused regions positioned along a rear area of the upper, the first set of fused regions forms a heel counter at the rear area that is configured to resist movement of the upper at the rear area;
- a second set of fused regions positioned along a side area of the upper, the second set of fused regions forming a shape that is a logo at the side area;
- and
- an edge protruding outwards from the upper, the edge has a longitudinal length disposed below a top area of the upper and above the side area such that the edge separates the top area from the side area and the longitudinal length of the edge is raised radially outwards between the top area and the side area;
- a midsole includes a composite element comprising a first component and a second component, the first component including a compressible foam that comprises the thermoplastic polymer material and the second component including a plate that is positioned adjacent to the compressible foam of the first component, wherein the midsole is thermally coupled to the upper along the compressible foam;
- and
- an outsole coupled to the midsole on an opposing side from the upper, the outsole comprises the thermoplastic polymer material;
- wherein the thermoplastic polymer material comprises a thermoplastic polyamide such that at least ninety percent of the article of footwear by weight comprises the thermoplastic polyamide.
7 more elements
An article of footwear, comprising:
- an upper defined by a first textile and a second textile that comprises a plurality of filaments spun together to generate a plurality of yarn, and the plurality of yarn is knitted together to form each of the first textile and the second textile, wherein the plurality of filaments comprise a first thermoplastic polymer material, wherein the first textile comprises a first set of fused regions positioned at a rear of the upper and a second set of fused regions positioned at a side of the upper, and the second textile comprises one or more lace apertures extending radially through the second textile;
- a midsole includes a composite element defined by (i) a first component having a first thickness and a first longitudinal length, and (ii) a second component having a second thickness and a second longitudinal length, the first component including a compressible foam that comprises a second thermoplastic polymer material, and the second component including a plate that is positioned below and coupled to a lower surface of the compressible foam, the midsole is coupled to the upper without an adhesive or stitching positioned between the midsole and the upper, and the first thickness is greater than the second thickness along an entirety of the first longitudinal length of the first component relative to the second longitudinal length of the second component;
- an outsole coupled to the midsole along the second component such that the outsole is positioned along the midsole opposite from the upper that is coupled to the midsole along the first component, wherein the outsole comprises a third thermoplastic polymer material;
- and
- a lace comprising a fourth thermoplastic polymer material, wherein the lace is coupled to the upper and extends at least partially through the one or more lace apertures of the second textile;
- wherein the first textile is bonded to the second textile along an edge that protrudes radially outwards to raise at least a portion of the second textile that is positioned adjacent to the edge radially relative to the first textile;
- and
- wherein the first thermoplastic polymer material, the second thermoplastic polymer material, the third thermoplastic polymer material, and the fourth thermoplastic polymer material comprise a single material, and a percentage of a combined mass of the upper, the midsole, the outsole, and the lace that comprises the single material equals at least ninety percent.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.