Knitted tensile structures
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorsJuan L. Aceves Tinajero, Jessica Small
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A knit component may include a knit-in tensile area, which may include an opening at least partially bounded by a first intersecting portion and a second intersecting portion. A course of tensile material that is integrally knitted with the first intersecting portion via a knit stitch may include a float extending from the first intersecting portion, across the opening, to the second intersecting portion. A knitting method may knit courses of the knit component on needle beds and then widen and/or narrow parts of the opening by transferring stitches of one of the courses of the knit component to different needles.
Claims20
A knitting method, comprising:
- knitting a first course of a multi-bed knit structure on a first needle bed and a second needle bed;
- transferring a first plurality of stitches of the first course of the multi-bed knit structure to different needles, wherein the transferring of the first plurality of stitches widens a first part of an opening in the multi-bed knit structure;
- knitting a course of tensile material, including at least one stitch that interloops with the multi-bed knit structure and a float that spans the opening;
- knitting a second course of the multi-bed knit structure on the first and second needle beds;
- and
- transferring a second plurality of stitches of the second course of the multi-bed knit structure to different needles, wherein the transferring of the second plurality of stitches narrows a second part of the opening.
A knitting method, comprising:
- knitting a first course of a multi-bed knit structure on a first needle bed and a second needle bed, wherein the multi-bed knit structure has a tubular knit structure;
- transferring a first plurality of stitches of the first course of the multi-bed knit structure to different needles, wherein the transferring of the first plurality of stitches widens a first part of an opening in the multi-bed knit structure;
- knitting a course of tensile material, including at least one stitch that interloops with the multi-bed knit structure and a float that spans the opening, wherein the float has a float length of at least three needles;
- knitting a second course of the multi-bed knit structure on the first and second needle beds;
- and
- transferring a second plurality of stitches of the second course of the multi-bed knit structure to different needles, wherein the transferring of the second plurality of stitches narrows a second part of the opening.
A knitting method, comprising:
- knitting a first course of a multi-bed knit structure on a first needle bed and a second needle bed of a weft knitting machine;
- transferring a first plurality of stitches of the first course of the multi-bed knit structure to different needles, wherein the transferring of the first plurality of stitches widens a first part of an opening in the multi-bed knit structure and forms or lengthens first arterial portions of the multi-bed knit structure around the first part of the opening;
- knitting a course of tensile material, including at least one stitch that interloops with the multi-bed knit structure and a float that spans the opening;
- knitting a second course of the multi-bed knit structure on the first and second needle beds;
- and
- transferring a second plurality of stitches of the second course of the multi-bed knit structure to different needles, wherein the transferring of the second plurality of stitches narrows a second part of the opening.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.