Granted Patent B2

US 12,262,791 · App. 16/196,243 · Granted Apr 1, 2025

Inventors: Daniel A. Podhajny (Beaverton, OR); Benjamin A. Shaffer (Portland, OR)

Assignee: NIKE, Inc.

A43B23/0245A43B1/04A43B3/0078A43B23/0205A43B23/025A43B23/0255A43B23/0265A43C1/00D04B1/102D04B1/123D04B15/56D10B2403/0241D10B2403/032D10B2501/043

Abstract

Claims (29)

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

a knitted component comprising a knit element and an inlaid strand;

the knit element extends seamlessly from a lateral side of the upper, through a heel area of the upper, and to a medial side of the upper; and

the inlaid strand is continuously inlaid through the knit element from one of the lateral side or the medial side of the upper, through the heel area of the upper, and to a seam located on the other of the lateral side or the medial side of the upper, wherein the knit element defines an ankle opening with an inner edge for providing access to a void within the upper, and wherein the inlaid strand extends along a majority of a circumference of the ankle opening, spaced below and substantially parallel to the inner edge of the ankle opening,

wherein the seam joins two portions of the knitted component.

2. The upper of claim 1 , wherein the seam extends from a perimeter edge of the knit element to the inner edge of the ankle opening.

3. The upper of claim 1 , wherein the inlaid strand extends continuously around an aperture located in a throat area of the upper on at least one of the lateral side and the medial side.

4. The upper of claim 1 , wherein the inlaid strand extends continuously around at a first aperture located in a throat area of the upper and also continuously around a second aperture located in the throat area, wherein the first aperture is located on the lateral side of the upper, and wherein the second aperture is located on the medial side of the upper.

5. The upper of claim 1 , wherein the knit element includes a first course with at least a first loop and a second loop, wherein the inlaid strand extends through the first course of the knit element such that the first loop covers the inlaid strand on an exterior side of the knit element and the second loop covers the inlaid strand on an interior side of the knit element.

6. The upper of claim 5 , wherein the first loop and the second loop are located in the heel area of the upper.

7. An article of footwear comprising:

an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper, the upper comprising:

a knitted component comprising a knit element, a first inlaid strand, and a second inlaid strand that is discontinuous with the first inlaid strand,

wherein the knit element extends from a lateral side of the upper, through a heel area of the upper, and to a medial side of the upper, the knit element having a perimeter edge positioned adjacent the sole structure,

wherein the first inlaid strand extends continuously through the knit element from the lateral side of the upper, through the heel area of the upper, and to a seam located on the medial side of the upper, wherein the knit element defines an ankle opening with an inner edge for providing access to a void within the upper, and wherein the first inlaid strand extends along a majority of a circumference of the ankle opening, spaced below and substantially parallel to the inner edge of the ankle opening, and

wherein the second inlaid strand extends from the seam and adjacent to the first inlaid strand.

8. The article of footwear of claim 7 , wherein a seam joins two portions of the knitted component on the medial side of the upper.

9. The article of footwear of claim 7 , wherein the first inlaid strand extends continuously around an aperture located in the throat area of the upper on at least one of the lateral side and the medial side.

10. The article of footwear of claim 7 , wherein the first inlaid strand extends continuously around a first aperture located in a throat area of the upper and also continuously around a second aperture located in a throat area of the upper, wherein the first aperture is located on the lateral side of the upper, and wherein the second aperture is located on the medial side of the upper.

11. The article of footwear of claim 7 , wherein the element includes a first course with at least a first loop and a second loop, wherein the first inlaid strand extends through the first course of the knit element such that the first loop covers the first inlaid strand on an exterior side of the knit element and the second loop covers the first inlaid strand on an interior side of the knit element.

12. The article of footwear of claim 11 , wherein the first loop and the second loop are located in the heel area of the upper.

13. An article of footwear having the upper of claim 1 and a sole structure secured to the upper.

14. An upper for an article of footwear, the upper comprising:

a knitted component formed of a unitary knit construction, the knitted component comprising a knit element and an inlaid strand;

the knit element having a seamless portion that extends seamlessly from a lateral side of the upper, through a heel area of the upper, and to a medial side of the upper; and

the inlaid strand extending continuously through the seamless portion of the knit element from one of the lateral side or the medial side of the upper, through the heel area of the upper, and to a seam located on the other of the lateral side or the medial side of the upper, wherein the knit element defines an ankle opening with an inner edge for providing access to a void within the upper, and wherein the inlaid strand extends along a majority of a circumference of the ankle opening, spaced below and substantially parallel to the inner edge of the ankle opening,

wherein the seam joins two portions of the knitted component.

15. The upper of claim 1 , wherein the inlaid strand has greater stretch resistance than the knit element.

16. The upper of claim 1 , wherein the inlaid strand is continuously inlaid from one of the medial side of the upper, through the heel area of the upper, and to the other of the lateral side or the medial side of the upper without contacting a seam.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (3)

References Cited (364)