CN110678096B

CN110678096B - Braided upper for footwear with trimmed heel axis

Info

Publication number: CN110678096B
Application number: CN201880035149.XA
Authority: CN
Inventors: 罗伯特·M·布鲁斯; 李恩庆; 詹姆斯·Y·雅欧; 市川禾夫; 市川道宏
Original assignee: Nike Innovate CV USA
Current assignee: Nike Innovate CV USA
Priority date: 2017-05-30
Filing date: 2018-05-30
Publication date: 2022-12-09
Anticipated expiration: 2038-05-30
Also published as: US20180343958A1; CN110678096A; EP3582644B1; EP3582644A1; WO2018222703A1

Abstract

A system for forming a braided footwear upper is provided. The upper has a medial side (304) and a lateral side (302), and a toe end (102) and a heel end (104). The braided footwear (100) is made from a plurality of yarns (14) braided together. The heel axis shaping system includes an alignment mechanism that orients a medial side and a lateral side at a heel end. The lateral side and the medial side converge together at the heel to form a heel axis (308). The coupling mechanism is associated with the alignment mechanism. A linking mechanism couples at least one of the braided yarns from the medial side to at least one of the braided yarns from the lateral side along the heel axis. By joining the aligned yarns as they are broken, the heel region transitions from the medial side to the lateral side in a seamless appearance.

Description

Braided upper for footwear with trimmed heel axis

Technical Field

Aspects herein relate to a braided structure that forms a footwear upper. In a further aspect, a braided footwear upper is constructed on a circular braiding machine and trimmed to have a heel axis with a closed seam that appears to be continuously braided.

Background

Conventional shoes are typically made of a textile or material having an upper that is cut to a desired shape and stitched together. Newer methods now also include forming the upper of the shoe from a knitted textile. A more recent method involves knitting a tubular textile for use as an upper for a shoe. Aspects herein relate to braided tubular structures for articles of footwear in some aspects.

Summary of The Invention

This summary provides a general overview of the disclosure and is intended to introduce a selection of concepts that are further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid, alone, in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

Aspects herein generally relate to a system for forming a braided footwear upper having at least a medial side and a lateral side, and a toe end and a heel end. Braided footwear is made from a number of yarns that are braided together. The heel axis trimming system (heel axis trimming system) includes an alignment mechanism that orients a medial side of the upper and a lateral side of the braided upper at the end of the heel. The lateral side and the medial side converge at the heel and form a heel axis. The coupling mechanism is associated with the alignment mechanism. A linking mechanism couples at least one stitching yarn from the medial side to at least one stitching yarn from the lateral side along the heel axis. In some aspects, the alignment mechanism includes a clamp that aligns the medial side and the lateral side at the heel axis. In some aspects, the joining mechanism is a sonic welding device that breaks (sever) and joins the yarns along the heel axis to present a finished seam (finished seam). By joining the yarns as they are broken, the heel region transitions from the medial side to the lateral side with a seamless appearance when the yarns are properly aligned.

In one aspect, an article of footwear is provided having a unitary, braided upper. The upper has a medial side, a lateral side, a toe end, and a heel end opposite the toe end. The braided upper has a joined heel axis along a joining line (joiner line), where the lateral side and the medial side meet at the heel end. The tie line forms a heel axis having, in one aspect, at least one braided yarn from the medial side coupled to at least one braided yarn from the lateral side. In some aspects, the heel axis presents a smooth and attractive transition from the medial side to the lateral side.

Brief Description of Drawings

Aspects of the disclosure are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 depicts a schematic diagram of an exemplary braiding machine;

FIG. 2 depicts a schematic top view of an exemplary braiding machine illustrating a carrier (carriage) and rotor metal;

FIG. 3 depicts a view similar to FIG. 2, but wherein the rotor metal moves the carriage;

FIG. 4 depicts a view similar to FIG. 3, but showing completion of the exemplary movement of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 depicts an article of footwear according to aspects herein;

fig. 6 depicts a perspective view of an exemplary braiding machine having a wire barrel or wire shaft (lead bobbin or spool) in a first position, in accordance with aspects herein;

fig. 7 depicts a perspective view of an exemplary braiding machine with a wire spool in a second position, in accordance with aspects herein;

fig. 8 depicts a perspective view of an example braided upper, shown with an unfinished heel region, according to aspects herein;

fig. 9 depicts a perspective view of the example braided upper of fig. 8, shown in a finishing jig (finishing jig), according to aspects herein;

FIG. 9A depicts an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 9;

FIG. 9B depicts an enlarged portion of the tail of the braided upper in the heel region;

fig. 10 depicts a perspective view of the example braided upper of fig. 8, shown with a trimmed heel region, according to aspects herein;

FIG. 10A depicts an enlarged view of a portion of FIG. 10;

FIG. 10B depicts a side view of a portion of FIG. 10A; and

fig. 11 depicts a flow diagram of an example method of forming an article of footwear with a braided upper with a trimmed heel axis according to aspects herein.

Detailed Description

Aspects herein provide a system for forming a braided footwear upper having at least a medial side and a lateral side and a toe end and a heel end. Braided footwear is made from a number of yarns that are braided together. The heel axis shaping system includes an alignment mechanism that orients a medial side of the upper and a lateral side of the braided upper at the heel end. The lateral side and the medial side converge at the heel and form a heel axis. The coupling mechanism is associated with the alignment mechanism. A linking mechanism couples at least one of the braided yarns from the medial side to at least one of the braided yarns from the lateral side along the heel axis. In some aspects, the alignment mechanism includes a clamp that aligns the medial side and the lateral side at the heel axis. In some aspects, the joining mechanism is a sonic welding device that breaks and fuses (fuse) yarns along the heel axis to present a finished seam. By fusing the yarns as they are broken, the heel region transitions from the medial side to the lateral side in a seamless appearance when the yarns are properly aligned.

In one aspect, an article of footwear is provided having a unitary, braided upper. The upper has a medial side, a lateral side, a toe end, and a heel end opposite the toe end. The braided upper has a joined heel axis along a joining line, where the lateral side and the medial side meet at a heel end. The tie line forms a heel axis having, in one aspect, at least one braided yarn from the medial side coupled to at least one braided yarn from the lateral side. In some aspects, the heel axis presents a transition from the medial side to the lateral side.

Braiding is a process in which three or more yarns are diagonally staggered (interlacing) or interwoven (interlacing) to the product axis in order to obtain a thicker, wider or firmer product, or in order to cover (overbraid) a certain profile (profile). 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 30 ° -80 °. This angle is called the braid angle. The braids (braids) can be linear products (ropes), hollow tubular casings or solid structures (one-dimensional, two-dimensional or three-dimensional textiles) with constant or variable cross-section and closed or open appearance

As used herein, yarns used for knitting may be formed of different materials having different properties. The properties that a particular yarn will impart to the regions of the 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. The elastic fiber (elastane) and the stretched polyester each provide significant stretchability and recovery, with the stretched polyester also providing recyclability. Rayon provides high luster (luster) and moisture absorption. Wool provides high moisture absorption in addition to thermal insulation 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 affect the properties of the knitted component. For example, the yarns may be monofilament or multifilament yarns. The yarn may also include individual filaments each formed of a different material. Further, the yarn may comprise filaments each formed of two or more different materials, such as a bicomponent yarn, wherein the filaments have a sheath-core configuration (sheath-core configuration) or two halves (flutes) formed of different materials.

As stated above, the braided structure may be formed into a tubular braid on a braiding machine, such as a radial braiding machine, an axial braiding machine, or a lace braiding machine. One example of a Lace braider can be found in EP 1 486 601 entitled "Torchon Lace Machine" entitled by Ichikawa, 5, 9, 2007, and EP 2 657 384 entitled "Torchon Lace Machine" entitled by 2013, 10, 30, 2013, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. An upper portion of an exemplary braiding machine 10 is shown in fig. 1. Braiding machine 10 includes a plurality of spools 12. In some embodiments, the spool 12 carries yarns 14 selected for knitting. Yarns 14 from individual spools are selectively interlaced or entangled with each other by braiding machine 10. This interlacing or entanglement of the strands forms a braided structure 16, as described further below. Each of the spools 12 is supported and constrained by a track 18 around the circumference of the 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 structure 16. As the yarns 14 extend upwardly, they pass through the braiding rings 24, which are commonly referred to as braiding points (braiding points). A knit point is defined as a point or area where yarns 14 merge to form a knit structure 16. At or near the loop 24, the distance between the yarns 14 from the different spools 12 decreases. As the distance between the yarns 14 decreases, the yarns 14 are intertwined or knitted with each other in a more compact manner and are linearly pulled by the roller 22.

As best seen in fig. 2, each spool 12 is carried and supported by a cradle 26. Each spool 12 is movable about the periphery of the track 18 by a rotor metal 28. Each of the rotor metal pieces 28 may be moved clockwise or counterclockwise as described for the Torchon Lace Machine previously referenced and disclosed in EP 1 486 601. In contrast to radial braids or completely non-jacquard machines, in lace braids, each rotor metal piece does not interlace with the adjacent rotor metal piece. Rather, each rotor metal piece 28 may be selectively independently movable. As can be seen by comparing fig. 2 to fig. 4, as the rotor metal 28 rotates, the rotor metal 28 moves the carriage 26 and, thus, the spool 12 by moving the spool 12 supported on the carriage 26 around the periphery of the track 18. The braider 10 is programmable so that the individual rotor metal pieces 28 rotate the carriage 26 and, thus, the spool 12 to move the spool 12 about the periphery of the track 18. As an individual spool 12 moves relative to an adjacent spool 12, the yarns 14 carried on the spools 12 are interwoven to produce a desired braid pattern. The movement of the spool 12 may be preprogrammed to form a particular shape, design and wire density of the braided component or a portion of the braided component. By varying the rotation and position of the individual spools 12, various braiding configurations may be formed. Such exemplary braiders may form complex braided configurations, including both jacquard and non-jacquard braided configurations or geometries. Such configurations and geometries offer design possibilities beyond those offered by other textiles such as knits.

In some aspects, the size of braider 10 may vary. It should be understood that braiding machine 10 is shown and described for illustrative purposes only. In some aspects, braider 10 may receive 144 carriages, however 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 carriers and spools within the braiding machine, the density of the braided structure and the size of the braided component can be varied.

Turning now to fig. 5, an exemplary article of footwear 100 is depicted as having a first end 102 and a second end 104. According to aspects herein, the first end 102 may correspond to a portion of the article of footwear 100 adapted to cover a toe of a wearer, while the second end 104 may correspond to a portion of the article of footwear 100 adapted to cover a heel end or an ankle end of the wearer. According to aspects discussed throughout this disclosure, article of footwear 100 is generally braided from first end 102 to (toward) second end 104. In other words, article of footwear 100 is typically knitted from a toe end to an ankle end. However, it is contemplated that first end 102 of article of footwear 100 and second end 104 of article of footwear 100 may be reversed such that the article of footwear is braided from an ankle end of the article of footwear to a toe end of the article of footwear.

With continued reference to fig. 5, first end 102 of article of footwear 100 generally corresponds with a first braiding plane 106, while second end 104 of the article of footwear generally corresponds with a second braiding plane 108. As depicted in fig. 5, first braiding plane 106 is generally positioned in an X-Y orientation, while second braiding plane 108 is generally positioned in an X-Z orientation.

However, other orientations of first braid plane 106 and second braid plane 108 are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, first braiding plane 106 may be placed in an X-Z orientation, while second braiding plane 108 may be placed in a Y-Z orientation or an X-Y orientation. Regardless of the exact braiding plane selected, an important aspect of the braiding plane is that first braiding plane 106 and second braiding plane 108 are perpendicular to each other such that a "Mobius twist" is made to rotate from first braiding plane 106 to second braiding plane 108. However, aspects in which first braid plane 106 and second braid plane 108 are not perpendicular are considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure. For example, first braiding plane 106 and second braiding plane 108 may be offset from each other by 45 degrees, or may be offset from each other by any other amount between 0 degrees and 90 degrees. Typically, the article of footwear will have the greatest resistance to stretch in a direction aligned with the braiding plane used to make that portion of the article of footwear. In other words, the amount of "mobius twist" performed changes the functional characteristics of the article of footwear produced by the methods described herein.

According to aspects herein, "mobius twists" are generally performed at a transition point 110 of the article of footwear, which transition point 110 generally refers to a point of the article of footwear where first braid plane 106 and second braid plane 108 intersect. In some aspects, first braiding plane 106 may transition instantaneously to second braiding plane 108 at transition point 110. Transition point 110 may be located between 2 inches and 6 inches from first end 102 of the article of footwear. However, in some aspects, first braiding plane 106 may gradually change to second braiding plane 108. In this aspect, the transition point 110 may be more accurately referred to as a transition section (transition section) 112, where the transition section 112 has a transition start point 114a and a transition end point 114b. Similar to transition point 110, transition origin 114a may be positioned between 2 inches and 6 inches from first end 102 of the article of footwear.

So far, in this disclosure, the discussion regarding fig. 5 has focused on manufacturing an example article of footwear 100 that includes a first section 101 braided with a plurality of yarns in a first direction corresponding to a first braiding plane 106. Next, the example article of footwear includes a second section 103, the second section 103 being knitted with a plurality of yarns in a second direction corresponding to a second knitting plane 108. In addition, exemplary article of footwear 100 also includes a transition section 112 positioned between first end 102 and second end 104, where transition section 112 further includes a transition start point 114a proximate first section 101 and a transition end point 114b proximate second section 103, where the plurality of yarns of transition section 112 linearly transition from first direction or first braid plane 106 to second direction or second braid plane 108. In accordance with aspects herein, a linearly transition refers to an angle at which the yarn smoothly rotates between perpendicular directions (a first direction and a second direction) within the length of the transition section 112. Alternatively, the plurality of yarns of the transition section 112 may transition in a non-linear manner, wherein the angle of the yarns rotates rapidly in one portion of the transition section 112 and rotates less rapidly in another portion of the transition section 112.

Turning now to fig. 6, an automatic braider 200 similar to the braider shown in fig. 1-4 is depicted. In fig. 6, article of footwear 100 is shown as beginning to knit at first end 102. The automated braider has a braid ring assembly 202 and a plurality of spools 204 associated with the braid ring assembly 202. The plurality of bobbins 204 may be integrally formed into the braid ring assembly 202, or provided separately and then coupled to the braid ring assembly 202. According to aspects herein, at least some of the plurality of bobbins 204 may comprise strands of braided material, such as yarn, although it is generally desirable for the entirety of the plurality of bobbins 204 to comprise strands of braided material. For the purpose of tracking the positioning of the plurality of spools 204 on the knotted loop assembly 200, one of the plurality of spools 204 has been masked and is referred to throughout this disclosure as a "wire spool". As used throughout this disclosure, braid ring assembly 202 may have a first set of positions 210 (fig. 6) and a second set of positions 212 (fig. 7), where the second set of positions 212 is obtained by rotating a spool on braid ring assembly 202 from first set of positions 210. The amount of rotation of the bobbin on braid ring assembly 202 is completely variable based on the desired properties of the article of footwear. For example, the second set of positions 212 may be rotated 45 degrees from the first set of positions 210, or the second set of positions 212 may be rotated 90 degrees from the first set of positions 210. Alternatively, other intermediate amounts of rotation are considered to be within the scope of this disclosure.

For example, a wire shaft may be traced from a first set of positions 210 as shown in fig. 6 to a second set of positions 212 as shown in fig. 7, which depicts the braid ring assembly having been rotated approximately 90 degrees. As previously discussed, article of footwear 100 is braided from first end 102 with a plurality of bobbins 204 on braided ring assembly 202 in a first set of positions 210. According to the "mobius twist" described herein, knitting article of footwear 100 with braid ring assembly 202 in first set of positions 210 results in first end 102 of article of footwear 100 being knitted in first knitting plane 106, and wherein knitting article of footwear 100 with braid ring assembly 202 in second set of positions 212 results in second end 104 of article of footwear being knitted in second knitting plane 108.

Turning now to fig. 7, automated braiding machine 200 is depicted as manufacturing article of footwear 100 after a "mobius twist" has been performed. In other words, the article of footwear depicted in fig. 7 has been completely braided in first braiding plane 106, has passed transition point 110, and is now being braided in second braiding plane 108, which means that the positioning of the spool on braiding ring assembly 202 is in second set of positions 212. Accordingly, fig. 7 depicts the automatic braiding process after the transition point 110 of the article of footwear 100 is reached and completely passed, or in other words after a "mobius twist" has been made.

An exemplary article of footwear 100 is shown in fig. 8 after removal from the braiding machine. Article of footwear 100 is shown disposed on last 300 in an expanded condition (expanded condition) that conforms to the shape of last 300. As shown, article of footwear 100 has a first end 102 in the toe region and a second end 104 in the heel region. Article of footwear 100 includes a lateral side 302 and an opposite medial side 304 that extend from first end 102 to second end 104. As shown in fig. 8, article of footwear 100 in the unfinished state also includes tail portion 306 adjacent second end portion 104. Article of footwear 100 may be braided, for example, as described above with reference to fig. 5-7. For simplicity, the braiding is depicted somewhat schematically in fig. 8 (such that the first braiding plane 106 is not depicted). However, in one aspect, the tail 306 is braided in a vertical plane, as described with reference to the second braiding plane 108 of fig. 5. Tail 306 is formed by knitting together the yarns forming lateral side 302 and medial side 304. The intersection of lateral side 302 and medial side 304 forms a heel axis 308. The tail 306 is removed during the trimming process, as described more fully below.

The article of footwear 100 of fig. 8 is shown placed in the jig 310 in fig. 9. In one aspect, the clamp 310 has a base 312 that supports and couples to a first back plate (back plate) 314 and a second back plate 316. In one aspect, first back plate 314 and second back plate 316 are coupled to base plate 312 such that they are spaced apart from each other, forming slot 318. Further, in one aspect, first back plate 314 and second back plate 316 are coupled to base plate 312 such that they are allowed to move inward and outward within groove 317 to close or open slot 318, as indicated by arrow 320. Although both the first and

second back plates

314, 316 are shown as being movable relative to the base 312, it should be understood that only one of the first and

second back plates

314, 316 may be movable. Further, although shown as vertical, planar plates, first and

second backplates

314, 316 may also be contoured (contours) to match the contour along heel axis 308. In one aspect, first backing plate 314 has a sonic welding horn 322 extending into slot 318. The second backing plate 316 has a corresponding sonic welding anvil 324, the sonic welding anvil 324 extending into the slot in a position to mate with the sonic welding horn 322. A sonic welding horn 322 and a sonic welding anvil 324 are schematically illustrated and are coupled to a sonic welding apparatus (not shown). Jig 310 is used to support article of footwear 100 of fig. 8 such that tail 306 is aligned with slot 318 and extends through slot 318. The fixture 310 operates as an alignment mechanism to consistently position the tail 306 relative to the base 312 and the first and

second backing plates

314, 316.

Fig. 9B shows tail 306 with lateral side 302 crossed and braided together with medial side 304. The seam region 308 where lateral side 302 is knitted with medial side 304 may extend further as shown in fig. 9A. As shown in the enlarged region of fig. 9A, in one aspect, the tail 306 is positioned through the slot 318 to extend between the sonic welding horn 322 and the sonic welding anvil 324. In one aspect, tension may be applied to the tail 306, as indicated by arrow 326. First backing plate 314 and second backing plate 316 may then be moved toward one another until sonic welding horn 322 and sonic welding anvil 324 engage tail 306. In one aspect, first and

second backing plates

314, 316 remain stationary while sonic welding horn 322 and sonic welding anvil 324 move toward and away from each other within their

respective backing plates

314, 316. The sonic welding horn 322 and sonic welding anvil 324 are thus capable of selectively engaging the braided yarns of the tail 306. In this case, the sonic welding device may be activated to join the yarns of the braided article of footwear 100 along the heel axis 308. In one aspect, the sonic welding horn 322 and sonic welding anvil 324 operate to join and break yarns of the braided article of footwear 100 along the heel axis 308.

Fig. 10 illustrates article of footwear 100 after the yarn from lateral side 302 joins the yarn from medial side 304 along heel axis 308. As shown in the enlarged portion in fig. 10A, after the yarn from lateral side 302 joins with the yarn from medial side 304 and the remainder of tail 306 is severed from article of footwear 100, heel axis 308 exhibits seam 330, which seam 330 allows lateral side 302 and medial side 304 to join while appearing as a continuous braided structure. Fig. 10B shows a fused region 332 extending along seam 330. Fused regions 332 represent the attachment of yarns on outer side 302 that are fused to yarns on inner side 304 to prevent unraveling of the knit. Thus, in one aspect, the knit pattern of lateral side 302 cooperates with the knit pattern of medial side 304. In other words, the stitching yarns from outer side 302 appear continuous with the stitching yarns from inner side 304. With this configuration, the heel axis is a firm seam that is free of raised seams that require further processing, such as seams that require padding (taped seam). In addition, by joining yarns from lateral side 302 to yarns from medial side 304, a unitary upper is formed that allows forces to be transferred from lateral side 302 to medial side 304, and vice versa. In addition to sonic welding, other methods of joining and breaking yarns from outer side 302 and inner side 304 may be used.

A method 400 for manufacturing a braided upper for an article of footwear is shown in fig. 11. As shown at block 402, the method includes positioning a braided upper having a heel axis into a trimming jig. After being in the jig, the method continues at block 404 by positioning the heel axis adjacent to an alignment mechanism associated with the jig. In this position, the method continues at block 406 by activating a joining mechanism associated with the jig to join a yarn associated with a medial side of the upper to a yarn associated with a lateral side of the upper along the heel axis. As shown at block 408, the method continues by breaking any yarn along the heel axis outside of the join (join) formed by the joined yarns.

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 application also relates to the following:

1) A heel axis trimming system for forming a braided footwear upper, comprising: an alignment mechanism configured to orient a medial side of a braided upper with a lateral side of the braided upper at a heel end of the braided upper; and a linking mechanism associated with the alignment mechanism, the linking mechanism configured to couple the first braided yarn of the medial side to the first braided yarn of the lateral side along a heel axis.

2) The heel axis shaping system of 1), wherein the coupling mechanism is a sonic welding machine.

3) The heel axis shaping system of claim 2), wherein the alignment mechanism comprises a base and a pair of back plates coupled to the base in a spaced apart relationship to define a slot.

4) The heel axis modification system of claim 3), wherein at least one of the pair of backplates is slidingly coupled to the base.

5) The heel axis modification system of 4), wherein both of the pair of backplates are slidingly coupled to the base.

6) The heel axis trim system of claim 5), wherein the sonic welding machine comprises a sonic welding anvil received within one of the pair of backing plates and a sonic welding horn received within the other of the pair of backing plates, the sonic welding anvil and the sonic welding horn extending into the defined slot.

7) An upper for an article of footwear, comprising: a braided upper comprising a unitary, braided structure having a lateral side opposite a medial side and a heel end opposite a toe end, wherein the braided upper comprises a joined heel axis between the lateral side and the medial side proximate the heel end of the braided upper, the joined heel axis comprising at least a first braided yarn of the lateral side coupled to at least a first braided yarn of the medial side at the joined heel axis.

8) The upper for an article of footwear recited in claim 7), wherein the joined heel axis exhibits a vertical transition seam from the lateral side to the medial side.

9) The upper for an article of footwear of claim 8, wherein the braided structure of the medial side and the braided structure of the lateral side are configured to mate with each other at the joined heel axis.

10 The upper for an article of footwear of 9), wherein the joined heel axis includes yarns from the medial side sonically welded to yarns from the lateral side.

11 The upper for an article of footwear recited in 7), wherein the toe end presents a seam oriented orthogonally to the joined heel axis.

12 A method for forming a heel axis on a braided footwear upper, comprising: placing a braided upper on an alignment mechanism configured to orient a medial side of the braided upper with a lateral side of the braided upper at a heel end of the braided upper; and joining at least a first braided yarn of the medial side to at least a first braided yarn of the lateral side along a heel axis.

13 The method of forming a heel axis on a braided footwear upper of 12), wherein the step of joining includes activating a sonic welder along the heel axis.

14 The method of forming a heel axis on a braided footwear upper of 13), further comprising removing at least a portion of the braided upper along the heel axis.

15 The method of forming a heel axis on a braided footwear upper of claim 14), wherein the removing step comprises activating a sonic welding device along a length of the heel axis.

Claims

1. An upper for an article of footwear, comprising:

a braided upper comprising a unitary braided structure having a lateral side opposite a medial side and a heel end opposite a toe end, wherein the toe end corresponds to a first braiding plane having an X-Y orientation and the heel end corresponds to a second braiding plane having an X-Z orientation, the first braiding plane is oriented perpendicular to the second braiding plane, and a plurality of yarns used to braid the upper are rotational braided at an angle to transition the plurality of yarns from the first braiding plane to the second braiding plane;

wherein the braided upper includes a joined heel axis between the lateral side and the medial side proximate the heel end of the braided upper, the joined heel axis including at least a first braided yarn of the lateral side coupled to at least a first braided yarn of the medial side at the joined heel axis, wherein the joined heel axis is oriented parallel to the second braiding plane.

2. The upper for an article of footwear of claim 1, wherein the joined heel axis presents a vertical transition seam from the lateral side to the medial side.

3. The upper for an article of footwear of claim 2, wherein the braided structure of the medial side and the braided structure of the lateral side are configured to mate with each other at the joined heel axis.

4. The upper for an article of footwear of claim 3, wherein the joined heel axis includes yarns from the medial side sonically welded to yarns from the lateral side.

5. The upper for an article of footwear according to claim 1, wherein the toe end presents a seam oriented orthogonally to the joined heel axis.

6. The upper for an article of footwear according to claim 1, further comprising a transition zone where the first braid plane having an X-Y orientation is gradually changed to the second braid plane having an X-Z orientation.

7. A method for forming an upper for an article of footwear, comprising:

forming a braided upper comprising a unitary braided structure having a lateral side opposite a medial side and a heel end opposite a toe end, wherein a plurality of yarns are braided in a first direction corresponding to a first braiding plane having an X-Y orientation to form the toe end and in a second direction corresponding to a second braiding plane having an X-Z orientation to form the heel end, the first braiding plane being oriented perpendicular to the second braiding plane, and during braiding, rotating and braiding the plurality of yarns at an angle to transition the plurality of yarns from the first braiding plane to the second braiding plane;

placing the braided upper on an alignment mechanism configured to orient a medial side of the braided upper with a lateral side of the braided upper at a heel end of the braided upper; and joining at least a first braided yarn of the medial side to at least a first braided yarn of the lateral side along a heel axis, the joined heel axis oriented parallel to the second braiding plane.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of joining includes activating a sonic welder along the heel axis.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising removing at least a portion of the braided upper along the heel axis.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the removing step includes activating a sonic welding device along a length of the heel axis.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising knitting a transition zone intermediate the first knitting plane having an X-Y orientation and the second knitting plane having an X-Z orientation, wherein the transition zone gradually changes from the first knitting plane having an X-Y orientation to the second knitting plane having an X-Z orientation.