TW201813532A - Article of footwear and knitted component thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

An article of footwear and a knitted component thereof are provided. The article of footwear includes a shoe upper and a sole structure fixed to the shoe upper. The shoe upper defines a shoe cavity for a foot to be inserted thereinto. The shoe upper is formed by the knitted component and includes a plurality of upper regions. The knitted component is a two-dimensional structure knitted from at least one yarn and includes a plurality of knitted regions respectively corresponding to the plurality of upper regions. Each of the plurality of upper regions has a stretch ratio to its corresponding knitted region of the plurality of knitted regions. The number of stitches in each of the plurality of knitted regions is proportional to its corresponding stretch ratio, so when the foot is inserted into the shoe cavity, courses and wales formed by the at least one yarn in the plurality of upper regions are substantially orthogonal.

Description

 Articles of footwear and their knitted parts  

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention generally relates to an article of footwear and a knitted component thereof, and more particularly to an article of footwear for a footwear and a knitted component thereof.

The general shoes are composed of a shoe upper and a sole. The upper usually contacts the wearer's foot directly to provide coverage and protection, while the sole is fixed to the bottom of the upper to cushion the wearer's foot and the ground, thereby relieving the stress caused by the reaction force on the foot. The upper may usually be made of different materials, such as natural leather, synthetic leather, polymer sheets, fabrics, etc., while the knitted upper has excellent advantages in air permeability and comfort, and has the advantage of lower manufacturing cost, so that knitting Shoes are developing very fast.

However, knitted uppers are generally very soft and not easily shaped, typically with additional support support or using additional shaping techniques to shape the upper. The use of additional supports to support a knitted upper tends to have problems in that the manufacturing process is more complicated, the material cost is increased, and the design is limited. The use of shaping technology usually uses thermoplastic yarns when knitting the upper, and the cold-curing characteristics of the thermoplastic material by heat fusion, so that the entire upper is coagulated, resulting in a decrease in the softness and comfort of the knitted upper.

In view of the above problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide an article of footwear and a knitted component thereof, which are stretched to a stretch ratio of each region of a three-dimensional structure according to a two-dimensional structure, and the difference in the number of knitted stitches is to form a knitted component. The region, when the two-dimensional knitted component is formed into a three-dimensional knitted upper, has a natural three-dimensional state, and when the foot penetrates the knitted footwear formed thereby, the weft and the warp in the different regions of the knitted upper are substantially positive The crossover allows the knitted upper to be applied to the foot naturally, improving the comfort and manufacturability of the shoe.

In view of the above objects, the present invention provides an article of footwear comprising an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper. The upper defines a shoe cavity for the foot to be nested; the upper is formed by a knitted component and includes a plurality of upper regions, the knitted component is a two-dimensional structure knitted from at least one yarn and comprising a plurality of knitted regions, plural The knitting regions respectively correspond to the plurality of upper regions, and the plurality of upper regions and the plurality of knitted regions respectively have corresponding stretching ratios, and the number of knitting needles of each knitting region in the plurality of knitting regions is proportional to the corresponding stretching ratio. When the foot is inserted into the shoe cavity, the weft rows and rows formed by the at least one yarn in the plurality of upper regions are substantially orthogonal.

In one embodiment, the stretch ratio is the ratio of the length of the upper region to the corresponding knitted region when the foot is inserted into the shoe cavity.

Furthermore, in addition to the number of knitting needles having different stretch ratios in different knitting regions, the present invention has a natural three-dimensional effect on the knitted upper, and the present invention can also use corresponding elastic coefficients and structural requirements by using different knitting regions. The yarn characteristics required for wear resistance and the like make the knitted upper have a natural three-dimensional effect.

In view of the above objects, the present invention provides an article of footwear comprising an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper. The upper defines a shoe cavity for the foot to be nested; the upper is formed by a knitted component, the knitted component is knitted from at least one yarn and comprises a plurality of knitted regions, the plurality of knitted regions respectively corresponding to different portions of the foot, The plurality of knitted regions include a heel region and a back region, respectively corresponding to the heel and the back of the foot, and at least one of the yarns forming the heel region and the back region includes elastic yarns such that the heel region and the instep region The coefficient of elasticity is substantially greater than other knitted areas.

In one embodiment, the plurality of knitted regions further comprise a shoe feather region, the shoe feather region being the foot side of the corresponding foot, and the elastic yarn extending from the shoe back region to the shoe feather region.

In one embodiment, the at least one yarn forming the heel region further comprises a wear resistant yarn and a structural yarn, and the structural yarn is thicker or stiffer than the elastic yarn.

In one embodiment, the plurality of knitted regions include a shoe opening region and a toe region, the shoe mouth region defining a shoe opening for the foot to enter the shoe cavity, the toe region being a toe corresponding to the foot portion, forming at least one of the shoe mouth region The yarn comprises a wear resistant yarn and an elastic yarn, and at least one of the yarns forming the toe region comprises a wear resistant yarn and a structural yarn.

The article of footwear of the present invention can make the knitted upper have a natural three-dimensional effect by changing the number of knitting stitches and/or the yarn characteristics in different areas of the knitted component, and the upper can be naturally applied to the foot to improve comfort and Manufacturability.

1, 1'‧‧‧ footwear

2‧‧‧foot

10, 10’‧‧‧ upper

10a~10c‧‧‧Shoe area

12‧‧‧ shoe cavity

20‧‧‧Sole structure

100, 100’‧‧‧Knitted parts

100a~100c‧‧‧Knitted area

101‧‧‧Grid

101a~101f‧‧‧Grid

102‧‧‧Grid

103‧‧‧ Back area

104‧‧‧ heel area

105‧‧‧ Shoe area

106‧‧‧ toe area

107‧‧‧Shoe area

L1~L3‧‧‧Shoe area length

Length of knitted area of L1’~L3’‧‧

1A is a schematic view of an article of footwear according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1B is a schematic view of a shoe upper according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a knitted component according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 3B is a partially enlarged schematic view of a plurality of regions of a knitted component according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a schematic view of a knitted component according to another embodiment of the present invention; and FIGS. 5A and 5B A schematic view of an article of footwear according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The present invention will now be further described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

As shown in FIG. 1A, an article of footwear 1 of the present invention includes an upper 10 and a sole structure 20 secured to the upper 10. The upper 10 defines a shoe cavity 12 for the wearer's foot to nest. The sole structure 20 is attached to the bottom of the upper 10 and may include, for example, a pad and an outsole to enhance the grounding of the wearer's foot into the shoe cavity 12 when in contact with the ground and the comfort during walking. The upper 10 is formed from a knitted component (e.g., 100 of Figure 2), and the upper 10 includes a plurality of upper regions (e.g., 10a, 10b, 10c). As shown in FIG. 2, the knitting member 100 is a two-dimensional structure in which at least one yarn is knitted, and the knitting member 100 includes a plurality of knitting regions (for example, 100a, 100b, 100c), and the plurality of knitting regions 100a, 100b, and 100c correspond to each other. The plurality of upper regions 10a, 10b, 10c, and the plurality of upper regions 10a, 10b, 10c and the plurality of knitted regions 100a, 100b, 100c each have a corresponding stretch ratio. The number of knitting stitches of each of the plurality of knitted regions 100a, 100b, 100c is proportional to its corresponding stretch ratio so that when the foot is inserted into the shoe cavity 12, the plurality of upper regions 10a, 10b, 10c are The weft rows and the traverses formed by the at least one yarn are substantially orthogonal.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1B, according to the shape of the article of footwear 1, the three-dimensional upper 10 is folded after the foot (for example, the last or the user's foot used in shoemaking) is placed in the shoe cavity 12. The plurality of upper regions 10a, 10b, 10c, and the plurality of upper regions 10a, 10b, 10c are generally curved surfaces due to the shape of the corresponding foot. The plurality of upper regions 10a, 10b, 10c of the three-dimensional upper 10 arcuate shape are projected onto the two-dimensional knitted component 100 such that the knitted component 100 has corresponding plurality of two-dimensional knitted regions 100a, 100b, 100c. The stretch ratios of the knitted regions 100a, 100b, and 100c with respect to the plurality of upper regions 10a, 10b, and 10c are obtained. In one embodiment, the stretch ratio is the ratio of the length of the upper regions 10a, 10b, 10c to the corresponding knitted regions 100a, 100b, 100c when the foot is inserted into the shoe cavity 12. For example, the lengths of the upper regions 10a, 10b, 10c are L1, L2, L3, respectively, and the lengths of the knitted regions 100a, 100b, 100c are L1', L2', L3', respectively, so that the upper region 10a is pulled The stretch ratio is L1/L1', the stretch ratio of the upper region 10b is L2/L2', and the stretch ratio of the upper region 10c is L3/L3'.

That is, the present invention can find the key molding line and the size control line of the article of footwear 1 (i.e., the relatively long stretched line, for example, the three lines L1, L2, L3 of the circumference of the upper region 10a, 10b, 10c) As a feature line, the feature line is projected onto the upper development view of the two-dimensional knitted component 100 to obtain corresponding knitted regions 100a, 100b, 100c and their corresponding lines L1', L2', L3'. Then, the dimensions of the actual three-dimensional characteristic lines L1, L2, and L3 are measured, and the lengths of the corresponding lines L1', L2', and L3' on the expansion view of the upper surface of the two-dimensional knitting member are compared, and the stretching ratio of each region is calculated. Thereafter, the knitting ratio of each of the knitting regions 100a, 100b, and 100c is calculated based on the calculated stretching ratio of each of the knitting regions 100a, 100b, and 100c. For example, in the case of a general upper knitting of 14 cm for 1 cm, the number of knitting stitches of each knitting region 100a, 100b, 100c is proportional to the stretching ratio, that is, the number of knitting stitches of each knitting region 100a, 100b, 100c. Equal to 14 times the stretch ratio (eg, number of knitting stitches = 14*L1/L1', 14*L2/L2' or 14*L3/L3').

Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, in a similar manner, the upper 10 can be divided into a plurality of grids to be calculated in two dimensions to obtain an expanded view of the knitted component 100 including the plurality of grid-like knitted regions 101. Alternatively, the developed view of the two-dimensional knitted component 100 can be converted into a stitch number distribution map (i.e., a braid density combination map). Specifically, the corresponding number of stitches of the four corners of each mesh 101 can be obtained by interpolation. Thereby, the knitted component 100 can calculate the obtained yarn layout according to the above manner, and perform knitting of different regions with at least one yarn, so that the three-dimensional upper 10 formed by the two-dimensional knitted component 100 is put on the wearer's foot or the cymbal. After the head, the weft rows and the traverses formed by the at least one yarn in the plurality of upper regions 10a, 10b, 10c are substantially orthogonal, so that the upper 10 has a natural stretched three-dimensional state, and thus naturally conforms to the wearer. A foot or a hoe to improve the comfort and manufacturability of the article of footwear 1. It should be noted here that the "weft row and the row substantially orthogonal" as used in the present invention means that the latitude and the behavior are orthogonal in appearance.

Furthermore, according to the above manner, after calculating the corresponding number of stitches for each of the four corners of each mesh 101, the difference in the number of stitches can be further calculated as stress and strain to determine which square has a large difference due to the large difference in the number of stitches. The two-dimensional to three-dimensional variation. Specifically, the difference in the number of stitches at each of the four corners of the mesh can be calculated similarly to the finite element method (ie, the calculation of stress and strain), that is, it can be determined which mesh will have a larger difference due to the larger number of stitches. Two-dimensional to three-dimensional variation. For example, as shown by the grid 102 of FIG. 3B, the grid 102 has a large difference in the number of stitches, so the yarns in the grid 102 are preferably elastic yarns (eg, lycra yarns) to produce an effective Deformation, but not limited to this.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the plurality of knitted regions of the knitted component 100 can include a instep region 103, a heel region 104, a shoe upper region 105, a toe region 106, and a shoe feather region 107. The instep region 103 corresponds to the instep of the foot, the heel region 104 corresponds to the heel of the foot, and the shoe region 105 defines a shoe opening for the foot to enter the shoe cavity 12 of the upper 10, the toe region 106 corresponding The toe of the foot, and the shoe feather area 107 corresponds to the foot side of the foot. The shoe feather area 107 may include an inner shoe area and an outer shoe area, wherein the inner shoe area corresponds to the inner side of the foot (ie, the side facing the other foot), and the outer shoe area corresponds to the foot Outside (ie the side that does not face the other foot).

As shown in Fig. 4, the present invention can define the elastic yarn coefficient required for the upper region by ergonomic engineering to determine the elastic modulus distribution of the knitted member 100'. Human factors engineering determines that the parts of the foot are more accessible to the upper, and these areas of contact require greater support. A person with a higher modulus of elasticity or a greater resilience will have a stronger feeling of support. Further, the coefficient of elasticity of the cloth surface of the entire knitted component 100' can be determined according to the combination of the elastic modulus of the yarn and the density of the yarn. Based on the setting of the standard fabric elastic coefficient of ergonomics, the elastic coefficient of the yarn selected for each knitted area (for example, mesh 101) can be inversely derived. For example, the calculated elastic coefficients of the meshes 101a, 101b, 101c, 101d, 101e, and 101f may be 10, 0.5, 7, 0.5, 9, and 12, respectively. In one embodiment, the present invention can be woven using different yarn combinations, crepe techniques, yarns woven into different thicknesses and compositions to achieve different elastic coefficients for each knitted region. Furthermore, in addition to the yarn selection, the required elastic modulus can be achieved by the change in the thickness and direction of the weave. It should be noted here that in some instances, the elastic modulus requirement of the knitted region may be higher in a particular direction, while the other directions are lower, and different elastic coefficients may be generated by yarn differences in the warp or weft direction. To achieve the desired effect.

In this embodiment, the yarn having a high density and a high elastic modulus is preferably a thicker or harder yarn, or even a rigid yarn having no elasticity as a structural support (referred to as a structural yarn). ). The yarn with a higher weaving density and the yarn of the vertical direction of the yarn of the required elastic modulus select the structural yarn, so that the region has a better supporting force and can be raised in a predetermined direction to avoid the occurrence of wrinkles, that is, by different The change in yarn characteristics of the region can have a natural three-dimensional shape.

That is to say, the present invention can not only make the knitted upper have a natural three-dimensional clothing effect by the number of knitting needles having different stretching ratios in different knitting regions, but also can use corresponding elastic coefficients and structural requirements by using different knitting regions. The yarn characteristics required for wear resistance and the like make the knitted upper have a natural three-dimensional effect. As shown in Fig. 5A, the article of footwear 1' includes an upper 10' and a sole structure 20 secured to the upper 10'. The upper 10' defines a shoe cavity 12 for the foot 2 to nest. In this embodiment, the upper 10' is formed by a knitted component (such as 100 of FIG. 2), and the knitted component 100 is knitted from at least one yarn and includes a plurality of knitted regions (for example, 103 to 107), and a plurality of knitted regions. Respectively corresponding to different portions of the foot (as described above), wherein at least one of the yarns forming the heel region 104 and the instep region 103 comprises elastic yarns such that the elastic coefficients of the heel region 104 and the instep region 103 are substantially greater than Other knitting areas. Thereby, the upper 10' can elastically hoop the foot 2 obliquely (i.e., from the back of the foot to the heel direction) to produce a three-dimensional effect.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5B, the elastic yarn preferably extends from the instep region 103 to the shoe feather region 107, whereby the instep region 103 and the shoe feather region 107 (including the inner and outer shoe feather regions) form an annular shape. The elastic region, together with the elastic region of the heel region 104, allows the upper 10' to have better support and conformability on the instep, the foot and the heel.

In this embodiment, at least one of the yarns forming the heel region 104 preferably further comprises a wear resistant yarn and a structural yarn, and the structural yarn is thicker or stiffer than the elastic yarn, such that the heel The region 104 is not only elastic but also wear resistant and structural. The at least one yarn forming the shoe opening region 105 preferably comprises a wear resistant yarn and an elastic yarn such that the shoe mouth region 105 has abrasion resistance and elasticity on the wear and tear. The at least one yarn forming the toe region 106 preferably comprises a wear resistant yarn and a structural yarn such that the toe region 105 has abrasion resistance and structural properties.

Furthermore, in the region where the knitted component 100 requires strong structural support (for example, the heel region 104, the toe region 106), the thermoplastic yarn can be locally used as the structural yarn, so that the formed upper 10' is partially It has a reinforced support effect but still retains considerable softness overall.

Compared with the prior art, the article of footwear and the knitted component thereof of the present invention can make the knitted upper by changing the number of knitting stitches in different regions of the knitted component and/or using different yarn characteristics according to the elastic requirements in different regions. It has a natural three-dimensional effect, and the upper can be naturally applied to the foot for improved comfort and manufacturability.

The present invention has been described by the above embodiments, but the above embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to be limiting. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the embodiments specifically described herein may have other modifications of the embodiments. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is intended to cover such modifications and are only limited by the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (14)

 A knitted component is a two-dimensional structure knitted from at least one yarn, the knitted component for forming an upper, the upper defining a shoe cavity for a foot to be nested and comprising a plurality of upper regions, characteristics thereof And comprising: a plurality of knitted regions respectively corresponding to the plurality of upper regions, wherein the plurality of upper regions and the plurality of knitted regions respectively have a corresponding stretch ratio, and each of the plurality of knitted regions has a knitting ratio The number of knitting stitches in the region is proportional to the corresponding stretching ratio, and when the foot is nested in the shoe cavity, the weft and the row formed by the at least one yarn in the plurality of upper regions are substantial Orthogonal.    The knitted component of claim 1 wherein the stretch ratio is a ratio of the length of the upper region to the corresponding knitted region when the foot is nested within the shoe cavity.    The knitted component of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of knitted regions comprise a heel region and a back region, respectively corresponding to the heel and the back of the foot, forming the heel region and the instep The at least one yarn of the region comprises an elastic yarn such that the heel region and the instep region have a modulus of elasticity substantially greater than the other knitted regions.    A knitted component is knitted from at least one yarn for forming an upper, the upper defining a shoe cavity for nesting a foot, and comprising: a plurality of knitted regions, respectively Should be a different portion of the foot, the plurality of knitted regions comprising a heel region and a back region, respectively corresponding to the heel and the back of the foot, forming the at least one yarn of the heel region and the instep region The elastic yarn is included such that the elastic modulus of the heel region and the instep region is substantially greater than other knitted regions.    The knitted component of claim 3 or 4, wherein the plurality of knitted regions further comprises a shoe feather region, the shoe feather region being a foot side corresponding to the foot, the elastic yarn being from the shoe back region Extend to the shoe feather area.    The knitted component of claim 3 or 4, wherein the at least one yarn forming the heel region further comprises a wear resistant yarn and a structural yarn, and the structural yarn is compared to The elastic yarn is thicker or harder.    The knitted component of claim 1 or 4, wherein the plurality of knitted regions comprise a shoe opening region and a toe region, the shoe region defining a shoe opening for the foot to enter the shoe cavity, The toe region is a toe corresponding to the foot portion, and the at least one yarn forming the toe region includes a wear resistant yarn and an elastic yarn, and the at least one yarn forming the toe region includes one Wear resistant yarn and a structural yarn.    An article of footwear comprising: an upper defining a shoe cavity for nesting a foot; and a sole structure secured to the upper, wherein the upper is formed from a knitted component and includes a plurality of uppers a knitting component is a two-dimensional structure knitted from at least one yarn and comprising a plurality of knitted regions respectively corresponding to the plurality of upper regions, and wherein the plurality of upper regions and the plurality of knitted regions are respectively separated Having a corresponding stretch ratio, the number of knitting stitches of each knitted region in the plurality of knitted regions is proportional to the corresponding stretch ratio so that the plurality of upper regions are nested when the foot is inserted into the shoe cavity The weft row and the row formed by the at least one yarn are substantially orthogonal.    The article of footwear of claim 8, wherein the stretch ratio is a ratio of a length of the upper region to a corresponding length of the knitted region when the foot is nested within the shoe cavity.    The article of footwear according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of knitted regions comprise a heel region and a back region, respectively corresponding to the heel and the back of the foot, forming the heel region and the shoe The at least one yarn of the back region comprises an elastic yarn such that the heel region and the instep region have a modulus of elasticity substantially greater than the other knitted regions.    An article of footwear comprising: an upper defining a shoe cavity for nesting a foot; and a sole structure secured to the upper, wherein the upper is formed by a knitted component, the knitted component is Knitted from at least one yarn and comprising a plurality of knitted regions respectively corresponding to different portions of the foot, the plurality of knitted regions comprising a heel region and a back region, respectively corresponding to the heel of the foot And the instep, the at least one yarn forming the heel region and the instep region is comprised of an elastic yarn such that the heel region and the instep region have substantially greater elastic modulus than the other knitted regions.    The article of footwear according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the plurality of knitted regions further comprises a shoe feather region corresponding to the foot side of the foot, the elastic yarn extending from the instep region To the shoe feather area.    The article of footwear according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the at least one yarn forming the heel region further comprises a wear resistant yarn and a structural yarn, and the structural yarn is compared The elastic yarn is thicker or harder.    The article of footwear according to claim 8 or 11, wherein the plurality of knitted regions comprise a shoe upper region and a toe region, the shoe region defining a shoe opening for the foot to enter the shoe cavity The toe region is a toe corresponding to the foot portion, and the at least one yarn forming the toe region includes a wear resistant yarn and an elastic yarn, and the at least one yarn forming the toe region includes A wear resistant yarn and a structural yarn.