KNITTED COMPONENTS HAVING SELF SUPPORTIVE HEEL
In one aspect of the disclosure, a knitted component may have a medial part, a lateral part, a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a rearfoot region. The rearfoot region may include a first zone having a first level of stretch and extending from a lower region of one of the medial part and the lateral part toward an upper heel region. The first zone may have an elongate portion. The knitted component may include a second zone adjacent the first zone and having a second level of stretch greater than the first level of stretch. The second zone may extend into the medial part and the lateral part and may substantially cover a calcaneus region.
This application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/053,026, filed on Aug. 2, 2018, and titled, “KNITTED COMPONENTS HAVING SELF SUPPORTIVE HEEL,” which claims priority to U.S. provisional patent app. No. 62/542,016, filed on Aug. 7, 2017, and titled “KNITTED COMPONENTS HAVING SELF SUPPORTIVE HEEL.” Both of these applications are incorporated herein by reference in the entirety.
BACKGROUNDThe present embodiments relate generally to knitted components and methods of manufacturing knitted components, and more particularly, to knitted components for use in footwear applications.
Articles of footwear conventionally include an upper and optionally a sole structure. The upper may be secured to the sole structure and form a void on the interior of the footwear for comfortably and securely receiving a foot. The sole structure may be secured to a lower surface of the upper so as to be positioned between the upper and the ground.
Various materials are conventionally used in manufacturing the upper. The upper of athletic footwear, for example, may be formed from multiple material elements. The materials may be selected based upon various properties, including stretch-resistance, wear-resistance, flexibility, air-permeability, compressibility, and moisture-wicking, for example. Some uppers may be formed from a knitted material. Incorporating knitted components into an upper, or knitting an upper, may provide advantages over conventionally manufactured uppers, for example based on properties of the knit due to structure, configuration, or materials.
Conventional articles of footwear include rigid structure over a region corresponding to the calcaneus of a wearer's foot. For example, conventional articles of footwear typically include a heel counter, i.e., a supportive panel that extends around the heel to provide support and control. A conventional heel counter may be constructed of a relatively stiff or rigid material, for example, plastic or leather, and may extend around the heel area of the foot, and generally forwardly of the calcaneus on both sides of the foot. While heel counters and similar rigid structures may enhance stability and control, they may contribute to any of increased weight, cost, and manufacturing complexity, and may reduce the flexibility of the article of footwear.
SUMMARYIn one aspect of the disclosure, a knitted component may have a medial part, a lateral part, a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a rearfoot region. The rearfoot region may include a first zone having a first level of stretch and may extend from a lower region of one of the medial part and the lateral part toward an upper heel region. The first zone may have an elongate portion. The knitted component may include a second zone adjacent the first zone and having a second level of stretch greater than the first level of stretch. The second zone may extend into the medial part and the lateral part and may substantially cover a calcaneus region. In another aspect, the knitted component may include a third zone having a stretch property that may extend from a lower region of one other of the lateral side toward the upper heel region. The third zone may have an elongate portion. In another aspect, the first zone may include a thermoplastic yarn. In another aspect, the second zone may include a different knit stitch than the first zone. In another aspect, at least one of the first zone and the second zone may be formed on at least two needle beds of a knitting machine. In another aspect, the knitted component may include an overfoot portion joined with an underfoot portion around a perimeter. In another aspect, the elongate portion of the first zone may include at least one of an elliptical shape, a rectangular shape, a triangular shape, a finger shape, or a tapered shape. In another aspect, at least one of the first zone and the second zone may include a plurality of apertures. In another aspect, the first zone may be continuous with the third zone in the upper heel region. In another aspect, the first zone may bound at least ten percent of a border length of the second zone.
In another aspect of the disclosure, an article of footwear may include an upper having a medial side, a lateral side, a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a rearfoot region. The rearfoot region may include a knitted component. The knitted component may include a first zone with a first level of stretch and may include an elongate portion extending from a lower region of one of the medial side and the lateral side toward an upper heel region. The knitted component may include a second zone with a second level of stretch that is greater than the first level of stretch. The second zone may extend from the medial side to the lateral side, may substantially cover a calcaneus region, and may at least partially surround the second zone. In another aspect, the article of footwear may include a third zone with a stretch property and an may include elongate portion extending from a lower region of one other of the medial side and lateral side toward the upper heel region. In another aspect, the rearfoot region may be substantially free from rigid structure separate from the knitted component. In another aspect, the first zone and the third zone may be continuous in the upper heel region. In another aspect, the first zone may pull the second zone toward the forefoot region. In another aspect, the first zone may form a connection with a closure system. In another aspect, the closure system may include a tensile strand in a collar region. In another aspect, the closure system may create a tension force in the first zone. In another aspect, the closure system may draw the second zone toward the forefoot region.
In another aspect of the disclosure, a method of forming a rearfoot region of a knitted component may include forming an elongate portion of a first zone of knit stitches, where the first zone may have a first level of stretch and may extend from a lower region of one of a medial or a lateral side toward an upper heel region. The method may also include forming a second zone of knit stitches either before or after forming the elongate portion of the first zone. The second zone may be adjacent the first zone, may substantially cover a calcaneus region, and may have a second level of stretch greater than the first level of stretch. The first zone may at least partially surround the second zone.
Other systems, methods, features and advantages of the invention will be, or will become, apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following figures and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features and advantages be within the scope of the invention, and be encompassed by the following claims.
The invention can be better understood with reference to the following drawings and description. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention. Moreover, in the figures, like referenced numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the different views.
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For reference purposes, article may be divided generally along a longitudinal axis (heel-to-toe) into three general regions: a forefoot region 150, a midfoot region 160, and a rearfoot region 170. Forefoot region 150 generally includes portions of article 100 corresponding with the toes and the joints connecting the metatarsals with the phalanges. Midfoot region 160 generally includes portions of article 100 corresponding with an arch area of the foot. Rearfoot region 170 generally corresponds with rear portions of the foot, including areas that cover the calcaneus bone (which comprises a portion of a wearer's heel). Additionally, the rearfoot region 170 may cover some or all of the wearer's malleoli and talus (which comprise a portion of the ankle), and may extend forward of those areas. Article 100 also includes a lateral side 180 and a medial side 190, which extend through each of forefoot region 150, midfoot region 160, and rearfoot region 170 and correspond with opposite sides of article 100. More particularly, lateral side 180 corresponds with an outside area of the foot (i.e., the surface that faces away from the other foot), and medial side 190 corresponds with an inside area of the foot (i.e., the surface that faces toward the other foot). Forefoot region 150, midfoot region 160, and rearfoot region 170 and lateral side 180, medial side 190 are not intended to demarcate precise areas of article 100. Rather, they are intended to represent general areas of article 100 to aid in the following discussion.
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Forming the upper 110 with the knitted component 120 may provide advantageous characteristics including, but not limited to, a particular degree of elasticity or stretch (for example, as expressed in terms of Young's modulus), breathability, bendability, strength, moisture absorption, weight, abrasion resistance, and/or a combination thereof. These characteristics may be accomplished by selecting a particular single layer or multi-layer knit structure (e.g., a ribbed knit structure, an interlock structure, a single jersey knit structure, or a double jersey knit structure), by varying the size and tension of the knit structure, by using one or more yarns formed of a particular material (e.g., a polyester material, a relatively inelastic material, or a relatively elastic material such as elastane), by selecting yarns of a particular size (e.g., denier), and/or a combination thereof. The knitted component 120 may also provide desirable aesthetic characteristics by incorporating yarns having different colors, textures or other visual properties arranged in a particular pattern. The yarns themselves and/or the knit structure formed by one or more of the yarns of the knitted component 120 may be varied at different locations such that the knitted component 120 has two or more portions with different properties (e.g., a portion forming the throat area of the upper 110 may be relatively elastic while another portion may be relatively inelastic). In some embodiments, the knitted component 120 may incorporate one or more materials with properties that change in response to a stimulus (e.g., temperature, moisture, electrical current, magnetic field, or light). For example, the knitted component 120 may include yarns formed of at least one thermoplastic polymer material or material composition (e.g., at least one polyurethane, polyamide, polyolefin, and/or nylon) that transitions from a solid state to a softened or liquid state when subjected to certain temperatures at or above its melting point and then transitions back to the solid state when cooled.
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By comparison with the relatively inelastic first zone 330, the relatively elastic second zone 340 may occupy an area approximately adjacent the first zone 330, and may occupy a calcaneus region 360 of the knitted component 120 that may eventually correspond with a rear portion of a calcaneus bone of a wearer's heel when the knitted component 120 is incorporated into an article of footwear 100. The second zone 340 may further conform to a wearer's heel in use. Such construction of a relatively inelastic first zone 330 and a relatively elastic second zone 340 may differ substantially from conventional knitted components used in footwear applications, which typically feature relatively inelastic and even rigid construction in an area corresponding with a wearer's calcaneus bone, especially the rear of a wearer's calcaneus bone.
The optional third zone 350 may substantially occupy a portion of the knitted component 120 not substantially occupied by the first zone 330, i.e., either the lateral or medial part 310, 320. The third zone 350 may have substantially similar or different placement, design, and construction as the first zone 330, and like the first zone 330, may communicate forces to the second zone 340 via knit stitches or other structure. The precise placement and shape of the first, second, and third zones 330, 340, 350 may vary. Unless stated otherwise, any details described below with respect to the first zone 330 may generally also apply to the third zone 350.
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It may be advantageous to knit the elongate portion 420 and/or the lower portion 430 of the first zone 330 at least partially with a thermoplastic material, and then subsequently form a fused area in that portion by heat treatment. In this description, the term “fused area” generally means an area of the upper where portions of material forming the knitted component 120 (e.g., material initially included with distinct individual yarns of the knitted component 120) are partially or substantially bonded together. A “fused area” is not required to be formed by any specific process. By forming a fused area, the first zone 330 may better transfer forces to the heel region 410. For example, the elongate portion 420 may include courses of yarns formed of at least one thermoplastic polymer material or material composition (e.g., at least one polyurethane, polyamide, polyolefin, and/or nylon) that transitions from a solid state to a softened or liquid state when subjected to certain temperatures at or above its melting point and then transitions back to the solid state when cooled. The one or more thermoplastic polymer materials may provide the ability to heat-process (e.g., heat and then cool) at least a portion of the knitted component to thereby form an area of bonded or continuous material (herein referred to as a “fused area”) that exhibits certain advantageous properties, including a relatively high degree of rigidity, strength, and water resistance, for example. In a non-limiting example, two or more separate yarns, including monofilament and/or multifilament yarn, may form a fused area when at least a portion of the material initially included with the yarns is bonded such that at least a portion of the separate yarns become continuous with one another. Further, after bonding to form a fused area, the material of the initially-separate yarns may become visually and/or physically indistinguishable, but this is not the case in all embodiments.
Additionally or alternatively, it may be advantageous to incorporate one or more tensile strands into the first zone 330 or elsewhere in the rearfoot portion 300 to further aid force transfer to the heel region 410. For example, a tensile strand may be inlaid into the first or third zones 330, 350 during the knitting process, and the tensile strand may be anchored elsewhere in the knitted component 120, upper 110, or article of footwear 100. As another example, a tensile strand may be inlaid in a collar portion 490 of the rearfoot region 300, which may extend near the inboard edge 480.
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The second zone 340 may have a number of shapes that may substantially cover the calcaneus region 360. As shown in
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At a second step, the knitting machine may knit the second region 590, which may correspond with a second part of the first zone (such as a lower portion 430 of the first zone 330) and may also correspond with a first part of a second zone (such as a medial part of a second zone 340 that substantially covers a calcaneus region 360). The second region 590 may include a first edge 640, a second edge 650, and a third edge 660. The first and second edges 640, 650 may be integrally knit with corresponding edges of the first region 580. The third edge 660 may later correspond with a heel centerline 530. Within the second region 590, the knitting machine may knit different knit structures and with different materials as it transitions from knitting the first and second zones 330, 350. Following the second step 590, the first zone 330 may be substantially complete, the second zone 340 may be partially complete, and the first zone 330 may at least partially surround the second zone 340.
At a third step, the knitting machine may knit a third region 600, which may correspond with a second part of the second zone (such as a lateral part of the second zone 340 that substantially covers the calcaneus region 360) and may also correspond with a first part of a third zone (such as a lower portion 560 of a third zone 350 on a lateral part 310 of the knitted component 120). In the third region 600, the knitting machine may knit different knit structures and with different materials as it transitions from knitting the second and third zones 340, 350. Like the second region, the third region may include a first edge 670, a second edge 680, and a third edge 690. The first and second edges 670, 680 of the third region 600 may later be integrally knit with corresponding edges of the fourth region 610. The third edge 690 may later correspond with a heel centerline in an article of footwear 100 and may be knitted integrally with the corresponding third edge 660 of the second region 590. Notably, as a result of integrally knitting the third edges 660, 690 of the second and third regions 590, 600, the resulting knitted second zone 340 may contain courses having at least two angular orientations. After the knitting machine substantially completes knitting the third region 600, one or more transition yarn feeders may knit a series of transition courses to prepare the knitting machine to knit the fourth region 610, so that yarns of the third region 600 may not cross with yarns of the fourth region 610 (in particular, yarns of the relatively elastic second zone 340 knitted during the third step may not cross with yarns of the relatively inelastic elongate portion 550 of the third zone 350 to be knitted in the fourth step). Following the third step, the second zone 340 may be substantially complete, and the third zone 350 may be partially complete.
At a fourth step, the knitting machine may knit the fourth region 610, which may correspond with a second part of a third zone, namely an elongate portion 550 of the third zone 350. The fourth region 610 may have a first edge 700 and a second edge 710 that are integrally knit with corresponding edges of the third region 600. By knitting substantially the entire elongate portion 550 after knitting the third region 600, the knitting machine may avoid crossing yarns of the third region 600 with yarns of the fourth region 610 (again, the process may avoid crossing yarns of the relatively elastic second zone 340 with relatively inelastic yarns of the elongate portion 550 of the third zone 350).
After completion of the first through fourth steps, the knitting machine may have knitted at least part of a rearfoot region 300 of a knitted component 120 including a first zone 330 having an elongate portion 420, a second zone 340 that substantially covers a calcaneus region 360, and a third zone 350 also having an elongate portion 550, where one or both of the first zone and the third zone 330, 350 at least partially surround the second zone 340.
The first knit structure 810 may include a series of courses of a fourth yarn type 830, which may be an elasticated yarn having relatively high stretch. In a first course 840, the fourth yarn type 830 may have a single jersey construction knitted in a partial gauge stitch density (e.g., half gauge) on a first needle bed. In a second course 850, the fourth yarn type 830 may have substantially similar construction as the first course 840, but knitted on a second needle bed. In a third and fourth course 860, 870, the fourth yarn type 830 may be tucked on needles utilized during the first and second courses 840, 850, thereby joining those fabric layers. The resulting first knit structure may offer a relatively high degree of stretch due to the selection of elasticated yarns; however, additional or alternative knit structures or materials may be selected to tailor performance of the second zone 340. For example, the second zone 340 may include knitted a plurality of apertures 460 formed by transferring stitches of the first and second courses 840, 850 to needles on another needle bed. Such a plurality of apertures 460 may enhance breathability of the second zone 340 and provide an appealing aesthetic. The second knit structure 820 of
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While various embodiments of the invention have been described, the invention is not to be restricted except in light of the attached claims and their equivalents. Moreover, the advantages described herein are not necessarily the only advantages of the invention and it is not necessarily expected that every embodiment of the invention will achieve all of the advantages described.
Claims
1. An article of footwear, comprising:
- a knitted heel region, comprising:
- a first zone comprising a thermoplastic polymer material that is fused; and
- a second zone that has a higher degree of elasticity than the first zone,
- wherein the first zone extends below the second zone between the second zone and a sole structure.
2. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the first zone includes a yarn comprising the thermoplastic polymer material.
3. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic polymer material comprises at least one of:
- polyurethane;
- polyamide;
- polyolefin, and
- nylon.
4. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the first zone and the second zone are integrally knitted with each other.
5. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the knitted heel region comprises a multi-layer knit structure.
6. The article of footwear of claim 5, wherein the multi-layer knit structure comprises at least one of a ribbed knit structure, an interlock structure, a single jersey knit structure, and a double jersey knit structure.
7. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the second zone comprises an elastic material.
8. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the first zone includes yarns comprising a first material, and wherein the second zone includes yarns comprising a second material that is different than the first material.
9. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the first zone comprises a substantially inelastic material, and wherein the second zone comprises a substantially elastic material.
10. An article of footwear, comprising:
- a knitted heel region, comprising:
- a first zone comprising an elongate portion comprising a first extension and a second extension; and
- a second zone comprising a greater elasticity than the first zone,
- wherein the first extension extends around a first side of the second zone and the second extension extends around a second side of the second zone, and the second zone is separate from a collar portion.
11. The article of footwear of claim 10, wherein the first zone and the second zone are integrally knitted.
12. The article of footwear of claim 10, wherein the first zone comprises a thermoplastic polymer material that is fused.
13. The article of footwear of claim 12, wherein the knitted heel region includes a yarn comprising the thermoplastic polymer material.
14. The article of footwear of claim 12, wherein the thermoplastic polymer material comprises at least one of:
- polyurethane;
- polyamide;
- polyolefin, and
- nylon.
15. The article of footwear of claim 10, wherein the first zone comprises yarns having a first denier, and wherein the second zone comprises yarns having a second denier, such that the yarns having the second denier impart a higher degree of elasticity to the second zone compared to the first zone.
16. The article of footwear of claim 10, wherein the first zone includes yarns comprising a first material, and wherein the second zone includes yarns comprising a second material that is different than the first material.
17. The article of footwear of claim 10, wherein the knitted heel region comprises a multi-layer knit structure.
18. The article of footwear of claim 17, wherein the multi-layer knit structure comprises at least one of a ribbed knit structure, an interlock structure, a single jersey knit structure, and a double jersey knit structure.
19. An article of footwear, comprising:
- a knitted heel region, comprising:
- a first zone comprising a thermoplastic polymer material that is fused and that forms at least part of an outer-facing surface of the knitted heel region; and
- a second zone that has a higher degree of elasticity than the first zone,
- wherein the first zone extends below the second zone between the second zone and a sole structure of the article of footwear, and wherein the second zone is spaced from a collar portion of the article of footwear.
20. The article of footwear of claim 19, wherein the knitted heel region includes a yarn comprising the thermoplastic polymer material.
Type: Application
Filed: May 27, 2024
Publication Date: Sep 19, 2024
Inventors: Kevin S. DeWillie (Portland, OR), Scott R. Kamrowski (Tigard, OR)
Application Number: 18/675,028