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AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorsRobert M. Bruce, Eun Kyung Lee, James Y. Yoo, Chikao Ichikawa, Michihiro Ichikawa
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A system for forming a braided footwear upper is provided. The upper has a medial side and a lateral side, and a toe end and a heel end. The braided footwear is made from a number of yarns that are braided together. The heel-axis finishing system includes an alignment mechanism that orients the medial side and the lateral side at the heel end. The lateral side and the medial side come together at the heel to form a heel axis. A joining mechanism is associated with the alignment mechanism. The joining mechanism couples at least one braided yarn from the medial side to at least one braided yarn from the lateral side along the heel axis. By joining the aligned yarns as they are severed, the heel area transitions from the medial side to the lateral side with an appearance of seamlessness.
A heel-axis finishing system for forming a braided footwear upper comprising:
An upper for an article of footwear comprising:
A method for forming a heel axis on a braided footwear upper, comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.