# US 2014/0150292 A1 · Article Of Footwear Incorporating A Knitted Component > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0150292 A1 - Document ID: US20140150292A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/691,316 - Filed: 2012-11-30 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2012-11-30 - Assignees: NIKE, Inc. - Applicants: Nike, Inc. - Inventors: Daniel A. Podhajny; Benjamin A. Shaffer; Erin E. Toraya; Robert C. Williams, JR. - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140150292A1 ## CPC - A43B 1/04: braided, knotted, knitted or crocheted - A43B 1/028: Synthetic or artificial fibres - A43B 23/0205: {characterised by the material (material of the lining A43B23/07, material of toe stiffeners or heel stiffeners A43B23/08)} - A43B 23/0245: {characterised by the constructive form} - A43B 23/025: {assembled by stitching} - A43B 23/0265: {having different properties in different directions} - A43B 23/042: {Uppers made of one piece (one piece slippers A43B3/106; one piece sandals A43B3/124)} - A43C 5/00: Eyelets (machines for setting eyelets A43D100/00) - D04B 1/102: {with stitch pattern (D04B1/06, D04B1/08 take precedence)} - D04B 1/106: {at a selvedge, e.g. hems or turned welts} - D04B 1/123: {with laid-in unlooped yarn, e.g. fleece fabrics (with elastic weft yarn D04B1/18)} - D04B 1/18: elastic threads - D10B 2403/032: Flat fabric of variable width, e.g. including one or more fashioned panels - D10B 2501/043: Footwear - A43B: CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF FOOTWEAR; PARTS OF FOOTWEAR - A43C: FASTENINGS OR ATTACHMENTS OF FOOTWEAR; LACES IN GENERAL - D04B: KNITTING - D10B: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBLASSES OF SECTION D, RELATING TO TEXTILES ## Abstract An article of footwear may have an upper with a knitted component. Alone or in combination, the knitted component may include regions with different degrees of stretch-resistance; the knitted component forms a collar with a half-gauge knit; the upper includes a strand with sections that are inlaid within the knitted component, and the sections are positioned immediately adjacent to each other; the strand forms a plurality of loops, pairs of the loops are positioned immediately adjacent to each other and configured to receive a lace; and the knitted component includes a thermoplastic polymer material, and the strand is unbonded to the thermoplastic polymer material. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the upper including a knitted component that is formed of unitary knit construction, the knitted component comprising: a first region forming a collar of the upper and having a first stretch-resistance, the collar defining an opening to a void within the upper for receiving a foot; a second region extending outward from the first region and having a second stretch-resistance; and a third region extending at least partially around the second region and having a third stretch-resistance, the first stretch-resistance being less than the second stretch-resistance, and the second stretch-resistance being less than the third stretch-resistance. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the first region is formed as a half-gauge knit. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The article of footwear recited in claim 2, wherein the second region and the third region are formed as a full-gauge knit. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the second region is located in a throat area of the upper. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein a yarn in the third region includes a thermoplastic polymer material. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The article of footwear recited in claim 5, wherein the thermoplastic polymer material is substantially absent from the first region and the second region. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein an inlaid strand extends through the third region. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The article of footwear recited in claim 7, wherein the inlaid strand forms lace loops that is configured to receive a lace. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The article of footwear recited in claim 7, wherein the inlaid strand forms lace loops, and pairs of the lace loops overlap each other and are configured to receive a lace. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The article of footwear recited in claim 1, wherein the knitted component is a flat knitted component. ### Claim 11 An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the upper comprising a knitted component that forms a collar defining an opening to a void within the upper for receiving a foot, the collar being formed as a half-gauge knit. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The article of footwear recited in claim 11, wherein the collar has a ribbed structure. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The article of footwear recited in claim 11, wherein other regions of the knitted component are formed as a full-gauge knit. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The article of footwear recited in claim 11, wherein the collar has a lesser stretch-resistance than other regions of the knitted component. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The article of footwear recited in claim 11, wherein the knitted component has (a) a central region that extends outward from the collar and (b) a peripheral region that extends at least partially around the central region, the collar, the central region, and the peripheral region being formed of unitary knit construction, and the collar having a lesser stretch-resistance than the central region and the peripheral region. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The article of footwear recited in claim 15, wherein the central region has a lesser stretch-resistance than the peripheral region. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The article of footwear recited in claim 15, wherein the central region and the peripheral region are formed as a full-gauge knit. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The article of footwear recited in claim 15, wherein a yarn in the peripheral region includes a thermoplastic polymer material. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The article of footwear recited in claim 18, wherein the thermoplastic polymer material is substantially absent from the collar and the central region. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The article of footwear recited in claim 11, wherein the knitted component is a flat knitted component. ### Claim 21 An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the upper comprising a knitted component and a strand having a first section inlaid within the knitted component, a second section located exterior of the knitted component and forming a lace loop that is configured to receive a lace, and a third section inlaid within the knitted component, the first section and the third section being positioned immediately adjacent to each other. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The article of footwear recited in claim 21, wherein the first section and the third section are located within two millimeters of each other. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The article of footwear recited in claim 21, wherein the first section and the second section extend between a throat area and a lower area of the upper. ### Claim 24 (depends on 21) The article of footwear recited in claim 21, wherein the strand forms a plurality of additional lace loops located on opposite sides of the upper. ### Claim 25 (depends on 21) The article of footwear recited in claim 21, wherein the lace loop and another lace loop overlap each other and form a pair of lace loops configured to receive the lace. ### Claim 26 (depends on 21) The article of footwear recited in claim 21, wherein the strand has a greater stretch-resistance than the knitted component. ### Claim 27 (depends on 21) The article of footwear recited in claim 21, wherein the knitted component includes a thermoplastic polymer material, and the strand is unbonded with the thermoplastic polymer material. ### Claim 28 (depends on 21) The article of footwear recited in claim 21, wherein the knitted component has (a) a collar region that forms a collar, (b) a central region that extends outward from the collar region, and (c) a peripheral region that extends at least partially around the central region, the collar region, the central region, and the peripheral region being formed of unitary knit construction, and the first section and the third section of the strand being inlaid within the peripheral region. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The article of footwear recited in claim 28, wherein a yarn in the peripheral region includes a thermoplastic polymer material, and the thermoplastic polymer material is substantially absent from the collar region and the central region. ### Claim 30 (depends on 21) The article of footwear recited in claim 21, wherein the knitted component is a flat knitted component. ### Claim 31 An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the upper comprising a knitted component and a strand that is inlaid within the knitted component, portions of the strand being located exterior of the knitted component and forming a plurality of loops, pairs of the loops being positioned immediately adjacent to each other configured to receive a lace. ### Claim 32 (depends on 31) The article of footwear recited in claim 31, wherein the pairs of the loops are in an overlapping configuration. ### Claim 33 (depends on 31) The article of footwear recited in claim 31, wherein each of the pairs of the loops are aligned to form an aperture. ### Claim 34 (depends on 31) The article of footwear recited in claim 31, wherein a first of the pairs of the loops is located on one side of the upper, and a second of the pairs of the loops is located on another side of the upper, the lace extending across the upper and through each of the first of the pairs of the loops and the second of the pairs of the loops. ### Claim 35 (depends on 31) The article of footwear recited in claim 31, wherein the strand has a greater stretch-resistance than the knitted component. ### Claim 36 (depends on 31) The article of footwear recited in claim 31, wherein the knitted component includes a thermoplastic polymer material, and the strand is unbonded with the thermoplastic polymer material. ### Claim 37 (depends on 31) The article of footwear recited in claim 31, wherein the knitted component has (a) a collar region that forms a collar, (b) a central region that extends outward from the collar region, and (c) a peripheral region that extends at least partially around the central region, the collar region, the central region, and the peripheral region being formed of unitary knit construction. ### Claim 38 (depends on 37) The article of footwear recited in claim 37, wherein a yarn in the peripheral region includes a thermoplastic polymer material, and the thermoplastic polymer material is substantially absent from the collar region and the central region. ### Claim 39 (depends on 37) The article of footwear recited in claim 37, wherein the collar region is formed as a half-gauge knit, and the central region and the peripheral region are formed as a full-gauge knit. ### Claim 40 (depends on 31) The article of footwear recited in claim 31, wherein the knitted component is a flat knitted component. ### Claim 41 An article of footwear having an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the upper comprising: a knitted component that includes a thermoplastic polymer material, the knitted component having at least one fused region where the thermoplastic polymer material bonds yarns within the knitted component; and a strand that is inlaid within the knitted component, the strand being unbonded to the thermoplastic polymer material. ### Claim 42 (depends on 41) The article of footwear recited in claim 41, wherein the yarns within the knitted component include a yarn that does not include the thermoplastic polymer material and is positioned immediately adjacent to the strand. ### Claim 43 (depends on 41) The article of footwear recited in claim 41, wherein the strand includes a material that does not form a bond with the thermoplastic polymer material. ### Claim 44 (depends on 43) The article of footwear recited in claim 43, wherein the material of the strand is nylon. ### Claim 45 (depends on 41) The article of footwear recited in claim 41, wherein the material of the strand is polytetrafluoroethylene. ### Claim 46 (depends on 41) The article of footwear recited in claim 41, wherein the strand includes a first section inlaid within the knitted component, a second section located exterior of the knitted component and forming a loop, and a third section inlaid within the knitted component, the first section and the third section being positioned immediately adjacent to each other. ### Claim 47 (depends on 41) The article of footwear recited in claim 41, wherein portions of the strand are located exterior of the knitted component and form a plurality of loops, pairs of the loops being positioned immediately adjacent to each other, and a lace extends through the pairs of the loops. ### Claim 48 (depends on 41) The article of footwear recited in claim 41, wherein the knitted component has (a) a collar region that forms a collar, (b) a central region that extends outward from the collar region, and (c) a peripheral region that extends at least partially around the central region, the collar region, the central region, and the peripheral region being formed of unitary knit construction. ### Claim 49 (depends on 47) The article of footwear recited in claim 47, wherein the thermoplastic polymer material is located in the peripheral region and absent from the collar region and the central region. ### Claim 50 (depends on 47) The article of footwear recited in claim 47, wherein the collar region is formed as a half-gauge knit, and the central region and the peripheral region are formed as a full-gauge knit.