阅读说明：本技术 编结物品及其制造方法 (Braided article and method for producing same ) 是由 罗伯特·M·布鲁斯 李恩庆 詹姆斯·Y·雅欧 市川禾夫 于 2018-05-31 设计创作，主要内容包括：本文的方面涉及编结物品及其制造方法。编结物品可以包括具有编结鞋面的鞋类物品。鞋类物品可以包括鞋底和编结鞋面,该编结鞋面包括具有鞋尖接缝的鞋尖部分、包括无接缝编结结构的鞋跟部分,和鞋喉部分。鞋尖部分可以包括基础纱线。鞋喉部分可以包括拉伸纱线。另外,鞋跟部分可以包括拉伸纱线和基础纱线两者。(Aspects herein relate to a braided article and a method of making the same. The braided article may include an article of footwear having a braided upper. An article of footwear may include a sole and a braided upper including a toe portion having a toe seam, a heel portion including a seamless braided structure, and a throat portion. The toe portion may include a base yarn. The throat portion may include a tensile yarn. Additionally, the heel portion may include both a tensile yarn and a base yarn.)

1. An article of footwear comprising: a sole; and a braided upper comprising a toe portion having a toe seam, a heel portion comprising a seamless braided structure, and a throat portion, wherein the toe portion comprises a base yarn, wherein the throat portion comprises a tensile yarn, and wherein the heel portion comprises both the tensile yarn and the base yarn.

2. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the tensile yarn is partially integrated into the braided upper proximate the throat at a multi-structural junction.

3. The article of footwear of claim 2, wherein a tensile yarn is integrated by knitting a first knit structure including the tensile yarn with a second knit structure including the base yarn.

4. The article of footwear according to claim 3, wherein the second braided structure forms the toe portion of the braided upper.

5. The article of footwear according to claim 4, wherein the first braided structure is removed from the braided upper.

6. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the heel portion includes a higher density of the base yarn than the tensile yarn.

7. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the braided upper includes a collar portion located adjacent to the heel portion of the braided upper, wherein the collar portion includes the tensile yarn.

8. A method of manufacturing a braided upper having a toe portion, a heel portion, a throat portion, a collar, and a collar portion located adjacent to the heel portion, the braided upper comprising: independently knitting a first knit structure and a second knit structure, wherein the first knit structure includes a tensile yarn and the second knit structure includes a base yarn; knitting the tensile yarns of the first knit structure and the base yarns of the second knit structure with one another proximate the throat portion; and a first region braided at the throat portion and a second region at the heel portion, the first region having a greater elastic mass than the second region.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first region comprises a higher density of the drawn yarns than the base yarns.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second region includes a higher density of the base yarn than the drawn yarn.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the first region includes the drawn yarn and does not include a base yarn.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising removing the first braided structure from the braided upper.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the first braided structure and the second braided structure are braided simultaneously using one braiding machine.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the mutual braiding of the first braided structure and the second braided structure forms a multi-structural joint.

15. A braided upper, comprising: a toe portion having a toe seam; a heel portion having a seamless knit construction; a throat portion; and a collar located proximate the heel portion, wherein the throat portion includes a tensile yarn integrated into the braided upper at a multi-structural joint, and wherein the toe portion and the heel portion include a base yarn.

16. The braided upper of claim 15, wherein the braided upper is a unitary braided structure.

17. The braided upper of claim 16, wherein the heel portion includes a higher density of the base yarn than the drawn yarn.

18. The braided upper of claim 17, wherein the throat portion includes a higher density of drawn yarns than the base yarn.

19. The braided upper of claim 15, wherein the drawn yarn is integrated into the braided upper by braiding a first braided structure comprising the drawn yarn with a second braided structure comprising the base yarn.

20. The braided upper of claim 19, wherein the second braided structure forms the toe portion of the braided upper.

Technical Field

Aspects herein relate to braided articles (woven articles), particularly articles of footwear.

Background

Conventional footwear is typically made of a textile or material having an upper that is cut to a desired shape and sewn together. Newer methods now also include forming the upper of the footwear from a knitted textile. More recent methods include knitting tubular textiles for use as uppers for shoes. Aspects herein relate to braided tubular structures, which in some aspects, are used in articles of footwear.

Aspects described herein relate to a braided article and a method of making the same. Braiding provides a number of advantages over knitting (knitting) or weaving (weaving), such as, for example, a reduction in friction applied to the yarns used to form the braided structure, the ability to use high denier yarns (e.g., between 800D to 20000D, between 1000D to 10000D, between 1000D to 5000D, etc.), the ability to combine different types of yarns with non-yarn materials (e.g., rubber cords, ropes, metal, etc.), for example.

Braiding is the process of interlacing or interweaving three or more yarns diagonally to the product axis in order to obtain thicker, wider or stronger products or in order to cover (over-braiding) certain contours. By diagonally staggered is meant that the yarns are at an angle to the product axis which may be between 1 ° and 89 °, but is typically in the range of 30 ° to 80 °. This angle is called the braiding angle. The braiding can be a linear product (rope), a hollow tubular shell or a solid article (one-dimensional, two-dimensional or three-dimensional textile) with a constant or variable cross-section and a closed or open appearance.

As used herein, yarns, filaments, or other materials used for knitting may be formed of different materials having different properties. The properties that a particular yarn or other yarn will impart to a region of a knitted component depend in part on the material from which the yarn is formed. For example, cotton provides a softer product, natural aesthetics, and biodegradability. Elastane (elastane) and stretched polyester each provide considerable stretchability and rapid recovery, with stretched polyester also providing recyclability. Rayon provides high luster and moisture absorption. Wool provides high moisture absorption in addition to thermal insulation properties and biodegradability. Nylon is a durable and wear resistant material with relatively high strength. Polyester is a hydrophobic material that also provides relatively high durability. In addition to materials, other aspects of the yarns selected for forming the knitted component may also affect the properties of the knitted component. For example, the yarns may be monofilament or multifilament. The yarn may also include individual filaments each formed from a different material. Additionally, the yarn may include filaments that are each formed of two or more different materials, such as a bicomponent yarn, where the filaments have a sheath-core configuration (sheath-core configuration) or two halves formed of different materials.

As described above, a braided article may be formed into a tubular braid on a braiding machine. Different types of braiding machines are available, such as radial braiding machines, axial braiding machines or lace braiding machines. One example of a Lace knitting Machine can be found in EP 1486601 entitled "Torchon Lace Machine" by Ichikawa, published on 9/5 2007 and european patent No. 2657384 entitled "Torchon Lace Machine" published on 30/10 2013, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. Fig. 1 shows an upper portion of an exemplary braiding machine 10. Braider 10 includes a plurality of spools 12. In some embodiments, the spool 12 carries yarn 14 selected for knitting. Yarns 14 from the individual spools are selectively interlaced or intertwined with one another by braiding machine 10. This interlacing or twisting of the strands forms a braided article 16, as described further below. Each spool 12 is supported and constrained by a track 18 around the circumference of braider 10. Each spool 12 has a tensioner 20 (shown schematically in fig. 1), which tensioner 20 operates in conjunction with a roller 22 to maintain a desired tension in the yarn 14 and the braided article 16. As the yarns 14 extend upwardly, they pass through the loops 24 of the braid, which are generally considered to be the braiding points. A knit point is defined as a point or region where yarns 14 merge to form a knit article 16. At or near the knotted ring 24, the distance between the yarns 14 from the different spools decreases. As the distance between the yarns 14 decreases, the yarns 14 intermesh (i.e., interlace) or weave with each other in a tighter manner and are pulled linearly by the rollers 22.

As best shown in fig. 2, each spool 12 is carried and supported by a carriage 26. Each spool 12 is movable about the circumference of the track 18 by a rotor metal 28. Each rotor metal piece 28 may be moved clockwise or counterclockwise as described in the Torchon Lace Machine referenced above and disclosed in EP 1486601. In contrast to radial braids or completely non-jacquard machines, in lace braids, each rotor metal piece does not intermesh with an adjacent rotor metal piece. Rather, each rotor metal piece 28 may be selectively independently movable. As can be seen by comparing fig. 3 and 4, as the rotor metal pieces 28 rotate, they move the carriage 26 and, thus, the spool 12 supported on the carriage 26 by moving the carriage 26 around the circumference of the track 18. Braider 10 is programmable such that a single rotor metal 28 rotates carriage 26 and, thus, spool 12 to move spool 12 about the circumference of track 18. As a single spool 12 moves relative to an adjacent spool 12, the yarns 14 carried on the spools 12 are staggered to produce a desired braid pattern. The movement of the spool 12 may be preprogrammed to form a particular shape, design, and specify a wire density of the braided component or portions of the braided component. By varying the rotation and position of the individual spools 12, various braiding configurations may be formed. Such exemplary braiding machines can form complex braiding configurations, including both jacquard and non-jacquard braiding configurations or geometries. This configuration and geometry provides design possibilities that exceed those provided by other textiles, such as knits or braids.

In some aspects, the size of braiding machine 10 may vary. It should be understood that braiding machine 10 is shown and described for illustrative purposes only. In some aspects, braider 10 can assume, for example, 144 carriages, although other sizes of braiders carrying different numbers of carriages and spools are possible and within the scope of the present disclosure. By varying the number of carriages and spools within the braiding machine, the density of the braided article and the size of the braided part can be varied.

Article of braided footwear with integrally and continuously braided construction for reinforcement

In accordance with one aspect herein, the technology described herein relates to an article of braided footwear including a braided upper having a braided layer with a first surface and a second surface. The braided upper is formed from at least a high performance yarn and a base yarn, wherein the high performance yarn forms an integral and continuously braided construction in the braided upper. The braided construction forms a pattern on the braided upper. The first surface of the braided upper defines a medial side and a lateral side having at least a toe portion (toe portion), a heel portion opposite the toe portion, a midfoot portion extending between the toe portion and the heel portion, and a throat portion at a vertex of the midfoot portion and extending through the medial side and the lateral side, wherein the throat portion is further defined by at least a first edge and an opposing second edge spaced apart from the first edge.

The high performance yarns and the base yarns may be braided together to form a braided upper having an integral and continuously braided construction to increase the structural integrity and support of the braided upper. For example, the high performance yarns may include high tenacity yarns having a higher strength than the base yarn, such as carbon fiber yarns, aramid fiber yarns, liquid crystal polymer yarns, high strength nylon yarns, and the like. The strength of a yarn may generally refer to the tensile strength properties of the yarn, such as the breaking force of the yarn. Additionally or alternatively, the high performance yarn according to aspects herein may be a high denier yarn, for example, in the range of between 800D and 20000D, between 1000D and 10000D, between 1000D and 9000D, between 1000D and 5000D, and the like. Further, high performance yarns according to aspects herein may also include, for example, composite yarns, which may include filaments, each filament being formed of two or more materials, such as in bicomponent yarns having filaments of a sheath-core configuration or bicomponent yarns having two halves formed of different materials. The composite yarn may comprise, for example, a polyester core, a nylon core, or any of the above-described high tenacity material yarns as a core, and a sheath of a thermoplastic material, such as, for example, a Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU), a silicone-based thermoplastic material, or the like. The bicomponent yarns according to aspects herein may be further processed, for example, by selectively applying heat to melt the thermoplastic material only in certain areas of the article of footwear where the composite yarn is present (e.g., using masking techniques to protect other areas), thereby creating a locking region for the article of footwear.

Braided constructions according to aspects herein may be contoured in a particular pattern to align with particular portions of a braided upper that are aligned with particular areas of a wearer's foot to provide enhanced support in these areas. For example, a midfoot region of a wearer's foot may benefit from additional support, and as such, a braided construct may extend through, for example, a midfoot portion on at least one of a medial side, a lateral side, and/or an undersole side of a braided upper aligned with the midfoot region of the wearer's foot. The high tenacity and low stretchability of the high performance yarns used to form the braided construct may provide stability to the midfoot region by preventing the braided upper from shifting or stretching in the midfoot region, particularly where the article of footwear is being continuously worn.

Another example location for a braided construct may be, for example, at a heel portion of the braided upper to provide increased support to a heel region of a foot of a wearer when the article of footwear is worn, thereby preventing the article of footwear from stretching or becoming loose in the heel portion of the article of footwear. Stabilizing the heel of a wearer's foot can be important to prevent injury caused by twisting (e.g., foot loss, etc.). In some aspects, an article of footwear according to aspects herein may further extend above an ankle region of a wearer, thereby providing stability to the wearer's ankle when the article of footwear is worn. In addition, providing a braided construction, in addition to providing visual appeal to the article of footwear, may also prevent premature stretching of the article of footwear in areas that are prone to stretching under normal or extreme wear conditions (e.g., motion) due to motion of the wearer's foot. In addition to the general areas described above, when a braided construction is formed by braiding composite yarns, the braided construction may further extend through a toe portion of the article of footwear to prevent undesired stretching in the toe region and to protect the article of footwear by locking the yarns and forming a seal around the toe portion of the article of footwear by selectively applying heat to the desired locked areas. As described below, with reference to fig. 5A-8, aspects of the braided construct and the location of the braided construct will become more apparent.

Fig. 5A depicts a perspective view of a lasted, integrally braided upper 1100 on a last 1102. Unitary braided upper 1100 has a first surface 1122 and a second surface 1124. First surface 1122 of integrally woven upper 1100 may define at least toe portion 1140, heel portion 1170, lateral midfoot portion 1160, medial midfoot portion 1220 (as shown in fig. 5C), and second surface 1124 defines underfoot portion 1210 (as shown in fig. 5C). Integrally braided upper 1100 may be braided from one or more composite and/or high performance yarns 1110 and one or more base yarns 1120. In addition, unitary braided upper 1100 may have an integrally braided throat portion 1130, the integrally braided throat portion 1130 being bounded at least by a lateral edge 1132 spaced from a medial edge 1134. Alternatively, the space or gap 1136 between lateral edge 1132 and medial edge 1134 may be closed by providing a tongue element (not shown) or a braided elastic portion 1138, the braided elastic portion 1138 covering a top portion of the wearer's foot when the article of braided footwear is worn by the wearer. The braided elastic portion 1138 may include, for example, elastic yarns to aid in donning and doffing the article of footwear and, at the same time, secure the article of footwear to the last 1102 or to the foot of the wearer when the article of footwear is worn, as described in more detail below.

As described above, high performance yarn 1110 according to aspects herein is integrally and continuously braided with unitary braided upper 1100 and forms braided construction 1180, braided construction 1180 providing additional support to a wearer's foot when an article of footwear including unitary braided upper 1100 is worn. While the braided construct 1180 shown in fig. 5A-5C forms a cruciform pattern profile, other pattern profiles, such as, for example, linear profiles, curvilinear profiles, organic (organic) profiles, geometric profiles, logo profiles, etc., are also possible and within the scope of the present disclosure. In addition to the advantages of braiding described above, a braided upper according to aspects herein may have high breathability by inherently forming openings 1150 throughout the braided upper when plurality of base yarns 1120 and one or more high performance yarns 1110 are interlaced with each other to form a unitary braided upper 1100 according to aspects herein. In addition, as depicted in fig. 5A-5C, unitary braided upper 1100 may provide a seamless 360 degree coverage for a wearer's foot, thereby improving comfort for the wearer by eliminating seams that may cause irritation to the wearer's skin by contacting and/or rubbing against the wearer's skin. Moreover, the absence of seams may further provide a more durable article of footwear because by providing an integrally and continuously knit upper 1100 that includes a underfoot portion 1210, the number of potentially failing seams is effectively reduced, as shown in FIG. 5C.

Figure 6A shows a close-up view in area 6A of integrally braided upper 1100 in figure 5A. As can be seen in this close-up view, high performance yarn 1110 and base yarn 1120 are integrally braided (i.e., interlaced) with one another, with the high performance yarn being braided to form braided construct 1180, braided construct 1180 forming a particular pattern that may be visually perceptible, such as, for example, the cruciform pattern shown in the figures. As more clearly shown, the pattern of braided construction 1180 may differ in different portions of unitary braided upper 1100. For example, braided construct 1180 forms a cruciform pattern only on medial midfoot portion 1220 and lateral midfoot portion 1160 of unitary braided upper 1100, while at underfoot portion 1210, braided construct 1180 forms a pattern of parallel lines extending through underfoot portion 1210. Furthermore, as briefly described above, other patterns of braided construction are contemplated. For example, the knit pattern may be comprised of a continuous linear plurality of stacked auxetic hexagons (as shown in the underfoot portion 1210, without intersecting at any point), a plurality of stacked shapes (typically, for example, logos, geometric shapes, organic shapes, and the like) to provide visual appeal in addition to the stabilization and reinforcement provided by the high performance yarns. Moreover, because braiding is a low-friction technique for producing textiles, yarns of different materials, weights, material strands, and the like may be used to form braided construct 1180 as an integral part of braided upper 1100. Further, as can be seen from the close-up view of fig. 6A, the braided construct may include one or more types of high performance yarns. In other words, high performance yarn 1112 may be one type of high performance yarn and high performance yarn 1114 may be the same type of high performance yarn 1112 or high performance yarn 1114 may be a different type of high performance yarn than high performance yarn 1112 depending on the performance desired for the final braided article of footwear. Further, although only two types are shown here, as noted above, many different types of braided structures may be used to impart different types of properties to the overall braided article, and thus, depending on the number of strands needed to form a particular braided structure, more different types of yarns may be added to the braided structure to maximize the physical properties of the braided structure and the physicochemical properties of the yarns used.

Fig. 7A depicts a perspective view of a different lasted, integrally braided upper 700 on a last 702, similar to the upper described above with reference to fig. 5A-5C. Unitary braided upper 700 has a first surface 722 and a second surface 724. First surface 722 of unitary braided upper 700 may define at least a toe portion 740, a heel portion 770, a lateral midfoot portion 760, a medial midfoot portion (not shown, but similar to medial midfoot portion 1220 shown in fig. 5C). The second surface 724 can define a underfoot portion (partially visible in fig. 7A and 7B, which is similar to the underfoot portion 1210 shown in fig. 5C). Unitary braided upper 700 may be braided from one or more composite and/or high performance yarns 710 and one or more base yarns 720. In addition, unitary braided upper 700 may have an integrally braided throat portion 730, with integrally braided throat portion 730 being defined at least by a lateral edge 732 spaced from a medial edge 734. Alternatively, space or gap 736 between lateral edge 732 and medial edge 734 may be closed by providing a tongue element (not shown) or a knitted elastic portion 738, with knitted elastic portion 738 covering a top portion of a wearer's foot when the article of footwear is worn by the wearer. The braided elastic portion 738 may include, for example, elastic yarns to aid in donning and doffing the article of footwear and, at the same time, securing the article of footwear to the last 702 or to the foot of the wearer when the article of footwear is worn, as described in more detail below.

As described above, high performance yarns 710 according to aspects herein are integrally and continuously braided with unitary braided upper 700 and form braided construction 780, braided construction 780 providing additional support to a wearer's foot when an article of footwear including unitary braided upper 700 is worn. Although the braided construction 780 shown in fig. 7A and 7B forms a cruciform pattern profile, other pattern profiles, such as, for example, linear profiles, curvilinear profiles, organic profiles, geometric profiles, logo profiles, etc., are also possible and within the scope of the present disclosure. In addition to the advantages of braiding described above, a braided upper according to aspects herein may have high air permeability by inherently forming openings 750 throughout the braided upper when a plurality of base yarns 720 and one or more high performance yarns 710 are interlaced with each other to form a unitary braided upper 700 according to aspects herein. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 7A-

As shown in fig. 7B, unitary braided upper 700 may provide a seamless 360 degree coverage of a wearer's foot, thereby improving comfort for the wearer by eliminating seams that may cause irritation to the wearer's skin by contacting and/or rubbing against the wearer's skin. Moreover, the absence of seams may further provide a more durable article of footwear because the number of potentially failing seams is effectively reduced by providing an integrally and continuously knit upper 700 that also includes a underfoot portion.

Figure 8 shows a close-up view in area 8 of integrally braided upper 700 in figure 7A. As can be seen in the close-up view, high performance yarn 710 and base yarn 720 are integrally braided (i.e., interlaced) with one another, wherein the high performance yarn is braided to form braided construction 780, the braided construction 780 forming a particular pattern that may be visually perceptible, such as, for example, the cruciform pattern shown in fig. 7A and 7B. As more clearly shown, the pattern of braided construction 780 may be different in different portions of overall braided upper 700. For example, braided construct 780 forms a cruciform pattern only on medial and lateral midfoot portions 760 of unitary braided upper 700, while at the underfoot portion, braided construct 780 may form other patterns, such as a pattern of parallel lines extending through underfoot portion 1210 shown in figure 5C. Furthermore, as briefly described above, other patterns of braided construction are contemplated. For example, the knit pattern may be comprised of a continuous linear plurality of stacked auxetic hexagons, a plurality of stacked shapes (typically such as, for example, logos, geometric shapes, organic shapes, and the like) to provide visual appeal in addition to the stabilization and reinforcement provided by the high performance yarns. Further, because braiding is a low-friction technique for producing textiles, yarns of different materials, weights, material strands, and the like may be used to form braided construction 780 as an integral part of braided upper 700. Further, as can be seen from the close-up view of FIG. 8, the braided construct may include one or more types of high performance yarns. In other words, high performance yarn 710 may be selected based on the properties desired for the final braided article of footwear. Further, as noted above, many different types of braided structures may be used to impart different types of properties to the overall braided article, and therefore, depending on the number of strands needed to form a particular braided structure, more or fewer different types of yarns may be added to the braided structure to maximize the physical properties of the braided structure and the physicochemical properties of the yarns used.

Article of braided footwear with integrally and continuously braided eyelets for laces

According to aspects herein, there is also provided an article of footwear including an integrally knitted eyelet for a lace. An article of braided footwear may include a braided upper having a first braided layer with a first surface and a second surface, the first braided layer formed from at least a high performance yarn and a base yarn. The first surface may define a toe portion, a heel portion opposite the toe portion, medial and lateral midfoot portions extending between the toe and heel portions, and a throat portion between the medial and lateral midfoot portions. The second surface may define a underfoot portion of the braided upper. As discussed above, the high performance yarns may be integrally braided to form a continuous braided construction of a braided upper for a braided article of footwear. As shown in fig. 5A-6B, the braided construct may further include a first plurality of arcuate braided loops forming a second braided layer along a first edge of the throat portion and a second plurality of arcuate braided loops also forming a second braided layer along a second edge of the throat portion. Alternatively, the arcuate rings may be formed from non-braided portions of high performance yarns by allowing the high performance yarns to exit from an inner surface of the braided construct (configured to face the last or the wearer's foot when lasted or worn by the wearer) and re-enter the braided construct at an outer surface (a surface opposite the inner surface) of the braided construct forming the article of footwear. For example, an arch ring may be formed by floating a high performance yarn along a throat portion of an article of footwear. As shown in fig. 7A-8, the exit point 703 of the high performance yarn 710 may be aligned with the re-entry point 705 in the braided configuration to form a plurality of perforations. Alternatively, the exit point and the re-entry point may be offset from each other in the braided configuration.

Referring to fig. 5A-6B, first plurality of braided arcuate rings 1182 and second plurality of braided arcuate rings 1184 may be continuously braided with braided construct 1180 while transitioning from primary braided layer 1101 to second braided layer 1103 at first exit location 1310 and returning from second braided layer 1103 to primary braided layer 1101 at second entry location 1320. Accordingly, first plurality of braided arch rings 1182 and second plurality of braided arch rings 1184 may also be formed of high performance yarns to provide braided construct 1180. Each arcuate braid 1330 in first and second pluralities of braided arcuate rings 1182, 1184 may include an opening 1340 configured to receive at least one lace configuration 1190. The fit of braided upper 1100 may be adjusted by lacing configuration 1190, which lacing configuration 1190 may be staggered between first and second pluralities of braided arch rings 1182, 1184 through each opening 1340 to further engage medial midfoot portion 1220 and lateral midfoot portion 1160 of the article of footwear and provide the wearer with the ability to coordinate the fit or adjust the fit of the article of footwear according to the wearer's preferences. For example, one wearer may prefer a tight fit while another may prefer a loose fit. A wearer with a close fit preference may choose to further tighten the fit of the article of footwear by pulling on the medial and lateral sides of the article of footwear with the lacing configuration 1190. Because first and second pluralities of braided arch rings 1182, 1184 of lacing are continuously braided with braided configuration 1180, adjustments made with lacing configuration 1190 may affect the fit around the perimeter of a wearer's foot, rather than just the instep area of the wearer's foot, when an article of footwear incorporating braided upper 1100 is worn as intended by the wearer. This will become more apparent as described below with reference to fig. 5A and 5B.

For example, fig. 5A and 5B illustrate how braided construction 1180 is continuously braided along a throat portion of unitary braided upper 1100, with a first plurality of braided arch rings 1182 along a lateral edge 1132 of throat portion 1130 and a second plurality of braided arch rings 1184 along a medial edge 1134 of throat portion 1130. As best seen in fig. 5A, first plurality of braided arch rings 1182 and second plurality of braided arch rings 1184 are braided independently of primary braided layer 1101 forming unitary braided upper 1100. In other words, first plurality of braided arcuate rings 1182 and second plurality of braided arcuate rings 1184 are on separate planes or on second braided layer 1103. As shown in fig. 6B, each braided arcuate ring 1330 in first plurality of braided arcuate rings 1182 and second plurality of braided arcuate rings 1184 includes an exit position 1310 (also referred to as a first position) and an entry position 1320 (also referred to as a second position). For example, knitted arch ring 1330 is continuously knitted with main knitted layer 1101 forming knitted upper 1100 and is part of lateral edge 1132 of throat portion 1130 of knitted upper 1100 in a knitted configuration 1180. Once braided construct 1180 reaches lateral edge 1132, braided construct 1180 continues to braid for a predetermined length at exit location 1310, alone/independently of lateral edge 1132, to form second braided layer 1103, and subsequently, braided construct 1180 is re-incorporated into primary braided layer 1101 and braided construct 1180 of braided upper 1100 beginning at entry location 1320. In other words, first plurality of braided arch rings 1182 and second plurality of braided arch rings 1184 transiently form a second braided layer at lateral edge 1132 and medial edge 1134 of unitary braided upper 1100.

Alternatively, as shown in the examples shown in fig. 7A-8, each of first plurality of arcuate rings 782 and second plurality of arcuate rings 784 may optionally be formed by allowing strands of one or more high performance yarns 710 to exit braided construction 780 from exit point 703 and re-enter braided construction 280 at entry point 705 to continue braiding into braided construction 780. Accordingly, first plurality of arcuate rings 782 and 784 may be located in second layer 850, while braided construction 780 may be located in main layer 840. Exit point 703 of each arcuate ring 830 may be located on an interior surface of braided upper 730 that is configured to face toward the wearer when braided upper 700 is part of an article of footwear that is worn by the wearer as intended. Entry point 705 may be located at an exterior surface of braided upper 700. As can be seen in the close-up view of fig. 8, departure point 703 and entry point 705 may be offset from lateral edge 732 and medial edge 734, respectively, of braided upper 700. Furthermore, although exit point 703 and entry point 705 are shown in fig. 8 as being aligned with one another, it is contemplated that exit point 703 and entry point 705 may also be offset from one another, depending on the knitting pattern formed by high performance yarn 710 in knitted upper 700. Each arcuate ring 830 of the first and second plurality of arcuate rings 782, 784 may include an opening 810, the opening 810 configured to receive at least one lace configuration 790. The fit of braided upper 700 may be adjusted by lacing configuration 790, which lacing configuration 790 may be staggered between first and second plurality of arch rings 782, 784 through each opening 810 to further engage medial and lateral midfoot portions of the article of footwear and provide the wearer with the ability to coordinate the fit or adjust the fit of the footwear according to the wearer's preferences. For example, one wearer may prefer a tight fit while another may prefer a loose fit. A wearer with a close fit preference may choose to further tighten the fit of the article of footwear by pulling on the medial and lateral sides of the article of footwear via lacing configuration 790. Since lace first and second plurality of arch rings 782, 784 are continuous with high performance yarns 710 integrally knitted in knit construction 780, adjustment of lace construction 790 may also affect fit around the perimeter of the wearer's foot, rather than just the instep area of the wearer's foot.

Article of braided footwear with stretch regions

Aspects described herein relate to an article of footwear and a method of manufacturing the article of footwear. An article of footwear may include a braided upper having at least a toe portion, a heel portion opposite the toe portion, and a midfoot portion extending between the toe portion to the heel portion on both a lateral side and a medial side. The braided upper may also include a throat portion at the apex of the midfoot portion on both the medial side and the lateral side. In addition, the braided upper may include a collar portion positioned proximate the collar and adjacent the heel portion.

The braided upper may include a first region and a second region. The first and second regions may have a particular knit density of the drawn yarns and/or the base yarns. In particular, the first region may comprise drawn yarns of higher knitting density than the base yarns. Further, the second region may include base yarns having a higher knitting density than the drawn yarns. Because the drawn yarn may be described as generally having a higher elastic mass than the base yarn, the first region may have a higher elastic mass than the second region. According to aspects herein, the first region may be located at various portions of the braided upper, such as a throat portion and/or collar portion, to assist in donning and doffing the braided upper.

In one exemplary aspect, the braided upper may include a toe portion having a toe seam and a heel portion having a seamless braided structure. The braided upper may also include a throat portion and a collar located near the heel portion. The toe portion and the heel portion may include a base yarn, and the throat portion may include a drawn yarn. In one exemplary aspect, the heel portion may further include a drawn yarn, wherein the heel portion includes a higher density base yarn than the drawn yarn to provide structural stability. According to aspects herein, the tensile yarn may be integrated into the braided upper at a multi-structural junction located proximate the throat portion, or separated from the braided upper at a multi-structural junction located proximate the throat portion.

Methods of manufacturing the braided upper are also described. In general, a braided upper may be an integrally braided structure formed by braiding one or more structures that are independently and simultaneously braided with one another. In particular, the first structure may comprise drawn yarns and the second structure may comprise base yarns. First, the first and second structures may be independently and simultaneously braided, but then, at a multi-structure junction, braided with one another to form a unitary braided upper. That is, when the first and second structures are simultaneously braided into a single structure during a braiding operation, the tensile yarns of the first structure may be interlaced with the base yarns of the second structure to form a multi-structure joint and ultimately an integral braided structure. Instead, the knitting operation may begin knitting the overall knit structure by first interlacing the tensile yarns with the base yarns, but then transition to knitting separate knit structures (e.g., first and second structures) at a multi-structure junction. The multi-structural joint may be present at any portion of the braided upper, such as near the throat portion and/or near the collar portion. As described above, once one or more structures are interwoven with one another at a multi-structure junction, then the drawn yarn and the base yarn may be used to form the first and second regions of the braided upper. In one aspect, the second braided structure may form a toe portion of the braided upper. Additionally or alternatively, the first braided structure may be removable from the braided upper.

The configuration thus described has a number of functional advantages. As discussed above, one advantage gained by forming various portions of the braided upper (e.g., the throat portion and collar) with drawn yarns is that donning and doffing of the article of footwear is facilitated. Furthermore, by regionally knitting the elastic yarns in specific portions of the knitted upper, the inelastic mass provided by the base yarns in the second region (e.g., the structural rigidity of the midfoot portion and the heel portion) is not disturbed. Another advantage is that by knitting two or more separate knitting structures with each other, elastic yarns may be introduced or integrated into the knitted upper at specific portions without interfering with the structural rigidity provided by the base yarns. For example, the braided upper may include an elastic yarn that is introduced or integrated into the braided upper near the throat portion so as not to compromise the inelastic qualities provided by the base yarn in the toe portion. Accordingly, aspects described herein may enable directional introduction and removal of tensile yarns at particular portions of a braided upper without degrading the inelastic qualities provided by the base yarns. Aspects of the braided upper will become more apparent with reference to fig. 9-12, as described below.

Turning now to fig. 9, a perspective view of an exemplary braided upper 1400 including a first region 1450 and a second region 1460 is provided according to aspects herein. Braided upper 1400 of fig. 9 may include a medial side 906 and a lateral side 902, where lateral side 902 is opposite medial side 906. Medial side 906 and lateral side 902 may also be defined as having a toe portion 920, a heel portion 910 opposite toe portion 920, and a midfoot portion 964 extending between toe portion 920 and heel portion 910. In addition, braided upper 1400 may include throat portion 904 at the apex of midfoot portion 964 and extending between toe portion 920 and heel portion 910. Braided upper 1400 may also include collar portion 918 proximate collar 914 and adjacent heel portion 910.

In one aspect, braided upper 1400 may include first region 1450 and second region 1460. The first and second areas 1450, 1460 may be distinguished by the knitting density of the drawn yarn 1436 and the base yarn 1430 in each area. As used herein, the term drawn yarn generally refers to a yarn having a higher elastic mass than the elastic mass of the base yarn. Exemplary tensile yarns include one or more synthetic or natural elastic yarns, fibers or filaments, such as spandex, elastic fibers, rubber, lycra, and the like. Further, while the drawn yarns and base yarns are referred to in the singular, it is contemplated that these regions may include a plurality of drawn yarns and/or a plurality of base yarns.

Because braided upper 1400 may be a continuous braided structure, there are no edges separating first region 1450 and second region 1460. That is, the yarns of the first region 1450 may be interlaced with the yarns of the second region 1460 to form a continuous knit structure. In this manner, braided upper 1400 may have the advantage of a tightly bonded braided structure that does not use external coupling media (adhesives, stitching, etc.), and may also be formed with fewer cutting, sewing, and finishing operations. Thus, the braided upper is not subject to fracture or breakage of the external coupling medium.

As discussed, the first and second areas 1450, 1460 may have various knit densities of the drawn yarn 1436 and the base yarn 1430. The term braid density refers to the number and/or concentration of specific yarns used to braid a specific area. In one aspect, the first region 1440 may have a higher knit density of the drawn yarn 1436 by having a higher concentration of the drawn yarn 1436 than the base yarn 1430. Alternatively or additionally, the first region may have a higher knitting density of the drawn yarn 1436 by knitting with a greater number of drawn yarns than the base yarn. Similarly, by knitting with a greater number and/or concentration of base yarns 1430 than the drawn yarns 1436, the second region 1460 may have a higher knitting density of base yarns 1430 than the drawn yarns 1436. Accordingly, the first region 1440 may have greater elasticity than the second region 1460.

Although the first and second areas 1450, 1460 are described as having various ratios of knit densities of both the drawn yarns 1436 and the base yarns 1430, it is contemplated that the first area 1450 may include only the drawn yarns 1436 and, thus, no base yarns 1430. Similarly, the second region 1460 may include only the base yarns 1430 and, thus, no drawn yarns 1436. Any and all aspects of obtaining greater elasticity in the first region as compared to the second region are considered to be within the scope herein.

With continued reference to fig. 9, first area 1450 and second area 1460 may be placed at specific portions of braided upper 1400 based on braiding machine 10, if configured. In some aspects, braided upper 1400 may be formed in one continuous braiding operation. As such, braiding machine 10 may be configured to stagger draw yarn 1436 and base yarn 1430 at a particular braid density to form first area 1450 and second area 1460. As can be seen in fig. 14, braided upper 1400 may include a first region 1450 of tensile yarns 1436 having a higher braiding density at least in throat portion 904. In addition, braided upper 1400 may include a second region 1460 of base yarns 1430 that has a higher braid density in at least midfoot portion 964 and heel portion 910. Although not shown, it is contemplated herein that first region 1450 may alternatively and/or additionally be located in collar portion 918.

Turning now to fig. 10A-10C, perspective, plan, and medial side views of an exemplary braided upper 1500 including a first structure 1512 and a second structure 1522 are provided, according to aspects herein. Braided upper 1500 of fig. 10A-10C may include medial side 906 and lateral side 902. In addition, medial side 906 and lateral side 902 may also be defined as having a toe portion 920, a heel portion 910, and a midfoot portion 964. In addition, braided upper 1500 may include throat portion 904 and collar portion 918.

Referring to fig. 10A, braided upper 1500 may include first structure 1512 braided independently of second structure 1522. The first braided structure 1512 may be braided with a tensile yarn 1436 and the second structure 1522 may be braided with a base yarn 1430. As shown, the continuous braiding of first structure 1512 and second structure 1522 forms two separate structures that are attached at a multi-structure junction 1532 to form one unitary braided upper. The term independently knitted generally refers to the simultaneous knitting of two separate knitted structures by one knitting machine in one knitting operation. Although described in greater detail with reference to fig. 11, first structure 1512 may be independently braided with second structure 1522 to form two independently braided structures that merge and/or are braided with each other at multi-structure junction 1532. By independently knitting first structure 1512 and second structure 1522, tensile yarn 1436 may be introduced to or separated from braided upper 1500 at multi-structure junction 1532. It should be appreciated that first structure 1512 may be removed near multi-structure junction 1532 to prevent tripping of the wearer. Accordingly, the remaining structure, second structure 1522, may form toe portion 920 of braided upper 1500 without the use of tensile yarn 1436.

Referring to fig. 10A-10C, the intertwining of first structure 1512 and second structure 1522 to form a multi-structure junction 1532 is described in accordance with aspects herein. The intermeshing of the first structure 1512 and the second structure 1522 may be accomplished by interlacing the drawn yarn 1436 of the first structure 1522 with the base yarn 1430 of the second structure 1512 during a knitting operation. As such, multi-structural joint 1532 may be located at any portion of braided upper 1500, allowing tensile yarn 1436 to be directionally introduced or integrated into braided upper 1500. In an exemplary aspect, braided upper 1400 may be a unitary braided structure having tensile yarn 1436 integrated or separated proximate throat portion 904. Thus, base yarns 1430 in second structure 1522 may form second regions 1560 in toe portion 920.

During the knitting of the overall knitted structure, tensile yarn 1436 may be interlaced with base yarn 1430 to form first region 1540 and/or second region 1560 in portions of knitted upper 1500. Accordingly, as discussed above with respect to braided upper 1400 in fig. 9, throat portion 904 of braided upper 1500 may include first regions 1440 of tensile yarn 1436 having a higher braid density than base yarn 1430. In addition, braided upper 1500 may include second region 1460, second region 1460 having base yarn 1430 with a higher braiding density than tensile yarn 1436. Accordingly, first region 1540 may have a higher elastic quality in throat portion 904 without reducing the inelastic quality of base yarn 1430 in toe portion 920. In one aspect, the drawn yarn and/or the base yarn may be introduced into or removed from the unitary braided structure at a multi-structure junction 1532.

Although not shown, in an exemplary aspect, braided upper 1500 may include one or more seams. For example, toe portion 920 may include a toe seam that may be closed using an external coupling medium (adhesive, stitching, etc.) to provide a closed toe. Because the exemplary aspect of braided upper 1500 is braided in one continuous braiding operation from toe portion 920, heel portion 910 may have a seamless braided structure because the braiding machine may continuously braid one overall braided structure. This provides at least one advantage, such as reducing the time required to close a heel or toe seam using an external coupling medium. Accordingly, in one aspect, braided upper 1500 may include a toe portion 920 having a toe seam and a heel portion 910 having a seamless braided structure. Additionally or alternatively, the braided upper may include a toe portion 920 having a seamless braided structure and a heel portion 910 having a heel seam.

Turning now to fig. 11, in accordance with aspects herein, a method of knitting an exemplary braided upper (e.g., braided upper 1500 of fig. 10A-10C) with mutual knitting of at least two independently knitted structures is providedMethod 1600. For simplicity, step 1602-1606 may be defined to occur at different times during a continuous braiding operation. In particular, step 1602 may be defined as t when first structure 1512 is braided independently of second structure 1522 during a braiding operation₁This occurs. Step 1602 may be defined as t when first structure 1512 and second structure 1522 are braided with each other during a braiding operation₂Is generated, wherein t₂Occurs at t₁And then. Step 1602 may be defined as t when the drawn yarn 1436 is interlaced with the base yarn 1430 to form the first areas 1440 and the second areas 1460 during the knitting operation₃Is generated, wherein t₃Occurs at t₁And t₂And then. It is envisaged that t₁、t₂And t₃Occur in a different order. Any and all aspects and any combination thereof are contemplated to be within the scope herein.

At step 1602, two or more structures (e.g., first structure 1512 and second structure 1522) may be at t₁Are independently knitted. Braider 10 may be configured to independently braid two or more structures into two independent braided structures. For example, braiding machine 10 may be configured to braid first structure 1512 while simultaneously, and independently, braiding second structure 1522. In addition, step 1602 may further include independently knitting two or more structures using different yarns. As described above, in one aspect, first structure 1512 may be knitted with tensile yarn 1436, while second structure 1522 may be knitted with base yarn 1430. As discussed with reference to fig. 10A-10C, the continuous knitting of the second structure 1522 may allow the toe portion 920 to be knitted with the base yarn 1430 without the tensile yarn 1436.

At step 1604, braider 10 may be configured to operate at t₂Two or more structures that are independently braided are braided with each other at a multi-structure junction 1532. Multi-structure junction 1532 may be created by interlacing yarns in two or more structures, as discussed above with reference to fig. 10A-10C. Additionally, multi-structural joint 1532 may be present in any portion of braided upper 1400. For example, the braiding machine may be configured at the throat of a shoeA multi-structural junction 1532 is formed adjacent to portion 904. Thus, in some aspects, step 1604 allows for integration of the tensile yarn 1436 into one or more particular portions of braided upper 1400 at different times in one continuous braiding process.

At step 1606, braiding machine 10 may be configured to perform at t₃Tensile yarn 1436 of first structure 912 is interlaced with base yarn 1430 of second structure 1422 throughout the remainder of knit upper 1400 to form first area 1440 and second area 1460. As described above, the first region 1440 may include a drawn yarn 1436 having a higher stitch density than the base yarn 1430. Additionally or alternatively, the second region 1460 may include a base yarn 1430 having a higher stitch density than the drawn yarn 1436.

Turning now to fig. 12, in accordance with aspects herein, a method 1700 of braiding an exemplary braided upper (e.g., braided upper 1500 of fig. 10A-10C) by mutual braiding of at least two independent braided structures is provided. For simplicity, step 1702-1706 may be defined to occur at different times during a continuous knitting operation. In particular, step 1702 may be defined as t when braider 10 interleaves tensile yarn 1436 with base yarn 1430 throughout portions of braided upper 1400 to form first area 1440 and second area 1460 during a braiding operation₁This occurs. Step 1704 may be defined as t when a multi-structure junction 1532 is formed during a braiding operation₂Is generated, wherein t₂Occurs at t₁And then. Step 1706 may be defined as t when first structure 1512 is braided independently of second structure 1522 during a braiding operation₃Is generated, wherein t₃Occurs at t₁And t₂And then.

At step 1702, braiding machine 10 may interleave tensile yarn 1436 of first structure 912 with base yarn 1430 of second structure 1422 throughout all portions of braided upper 1400 to form first area 1440 and second area 1460. As described above, the first region 1440 may include a drawn yarn 1436 having a higher stitch density than the base yarn 1430. Additionally or alternatively, the second region 1460 may include a base yarn 1430 having a higher stitch density than the drawn yarn 1436.

At step 1704, braiding machine 10 may be configured to operate at t₂Forming a multi-structural junction 1532. Multi-structural joint 1532 may be created by removing drawn yarn 1436 and/or base yarn 1430. The yarns may then be used to form two or more structures, as discussed above with reference to fig. 10A-10C. Additionally, multi-structural joint 1532 may be present at any portion of braided upper 1400. For example, the braiding machine may be configured to form a multi-structural joint 1532 near throat portion 904. Thus, in some aspects, step 1704 allows the tensile yarn 1436 and/or the base yarn 1430 to separate or exit from the braided upper 1400 at different times in one continuous braiding process.

At step 1706, first structure 1512 may be braided independently of second structure 1522 based on forming a multi-structure junction 1532. Braider 10 may be configured to independently braid two or more structures into two independent braided structures. For example, braiding machine 10 may be configured to braid first structure 1512 while simultaneously, and independently, braiding second structure 1522. Additionally, step 1706 may further include independently knitting two or more structures using different yarns. As described above, in one aspect, first structure 1512 may be knitted with tensile yarn 1436, while second structure 1522 may be knitted with base yarn 1430. As discussed with reference to fig. 10A-10C, the continuous knitting of the second structure 1522 may allow the toe portion 920 to be knitted with the base yarn 1430 without the tensile yarn 1436.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain all the ends and objects set forth above, together with other advantages which are obvious and inherent to the structure.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is covered by and within the scope of the claims.

Since many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

The claims (modification according to treaty clause 19)

1. An article of footwear comprising: a sole; and a braided upper comprising a toe portion having a toe seam, a heel portion comprising a seamless braided structure, and a throat portion, wherein the toe portion comprises a base yarn, wherein the throat portion comprises a tensile yarn introduced into the braided upper at the throat portion, and wherein the heel portion comprises both the tensile yarn and the base yarn.

2. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the tensile yarn is integrated into the braided upper at the throat portion at a multi-structural junction.

3. The article of footwear of claim 2, wherein a tensile yarn is integrated by knitting a first knit structure including the tensile yarn with a second knit structure including the base yarn.

4. The article of footwear according to claim 3, wherein the second braided structure forms the toe portion of the braided upper.

5. The article of footwear according to claim 4, wherein the first braided structure is removed from the braided upper.

6. The article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the heel portion includes a higher density of the base yarn than the tensile yarn.

7. The article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the braided upper includes a collar portion located adjacent to the heel portion of the braided upper, wherein the collar portion includes the tensile yarn.

8. A method of manufacturing a braided upper having a toe portion, a heel portion, a throat portion, a collar, and a collar portion located adjacent to the heel portion, the braided upper comprising: independently knitting a first knit structure and a second knit structure, wherein the first knit structure includes a tensile yarn and the second knit structure includes a base yarn; introducing the tensile yarns into the braided upper by braiding the tensile yarns of the first braided structure with the base yarns of the second braided structure at the throat portion; and a first region braided at the throat portion and a second region at the heel portion, the first region having a greater elastic mass than the second region.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first region comprises a higher density of the drawn yarns than the base yarns.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second region includes a higher density of the base yarn than the drawn yarn.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the first region includes the drawn yarn and does not include a base yarn.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising removing the first braided structure from the braided upper.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the first braided structure and the second braided structure are braided simultaneously using one braiding machine.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the mutual braiding of the first braided structure and the second braided structure forms a multi-structural joint.

15. A braided upper, comprising: a toe portion having a toe seam; a heel portion having a seamless knit construction; a throat portion; and a collar located proximate the heel portion, wherein the throat portion includes a tensile yarn integrated into the braided upper at a multi-structural joint, and wherein the toe portion and the heel portion include a base yarn.

16. The braided upper of claim 15, wherein the braided upper is a unitary braided structure.

17. The braided upper of claim 16, wherein the heel portion includes a higher density of the base yarn than the drawn yarn.

18. The braided upper of claim 17, wherein the throat portion includes a higher density of drawn yarns than the base yarn.

19. The braided upper of claim 15, wherein the drawn yarn is integrated into the braided upper by braiding a first braided structure comprising the drawn yarn with a second braided structure comprising the base yarn.

20. The braided upper of claim 19, wherein the second braided structure forms the toe portion of the braided upper.