There is provided a shoe upper that can be produced with high productivity. A heel cover portion (2) and a body portion (3) of a shoe upper (1) are integrally formed in a seamless manner by a knitting pattern. In the top section, a portion having a knitting width of greater than or equal to a predetermined width from an upper end to a lower end, at a position corresponding to a heel of a wearer, is assumed as the heel cover portion (2), and a portion including a remaining portion of the top section, excluding the heel cover portion (2), and the bottom section is assumed as the body portion (3), where an end in a knitting width direction of the heel cover portion (2) and an end in a wale direction of the body portion (3) are connected at positions of edges (L2, L3) on a side surface of the shoe upper (1) of the edges (L1 to L3) to become the boundary lines of the heel cover portion (2) and the body portion (3). As a result, directions of stitches of the heel cover portion (2) and the body portion (3) are oriented in a height direction and a length direction, respectively, of the shoe upper (1), whereby a three-dimensional shoe upper (1) is obtained.

A first fabric of footwear comprising a closed lower end forming a toe and an open upper end and a second fabric that is open on a side opposite the first fabric is knitted on on front and back needle beds of a flat knitting machine. Double stitches formed between stitches at the upper end of the first fabric and between stitches at the upper end of the second fabric are taken from the needle beds. Remaining stitches at the first fabric upper end are held on one needle bed, and remaining stiches at the second fabric upper end are held on the other needle bed. Fabrics that follow the remaining stitches at the first fabric upper end and the remaining stitches at the second fabric upper end are knitted toward the heel of the footwear.

Aspects of the present invention relate to a method (500) of fabricating a cover for an interior trim component or an exterior trim component for a vehicle. The method comprising forming a 3D knitted structure (510) by knitting together at least one heat activated yarn and at least one non-heat activated yarn. The structure may be arranged whereby, during a subsequent heat treatment process (520) in which the cover is heated to a temperature at or above an activation temperature, the heat-activated yarn is activated thereby to form an automotive cover having a knitted structure of increased stiffness once cooled.

A knitted component may have a first portion, where the first portion has a first layer and a second layer, and where the first layer and the second layer each have opposite-facing surfaces. The first layer and the second layer may be secured via at least one knit structure of the knitted component at a boundary of the first portion. The first layer may form at least one of: (a) an overfoot portion of an article of footwear such that the pocket forms a void of the article of footwear for receiving a foot and such that the first layer forms a top surface of the void, and (b) an underfoot portion of the article of footwear such that the first layer forms a bottom surface of the void of the article of footwear.

A 3D shoe blank is an integral knit fabric without any sewn portion made by a double-bed flat knitting machine and includes an upper portion having two technical surfaces and knitted from at least a first yarn by skip-needle double-knitting, a front sole portion connected to the upper portion by a cast-on line and two connection lines to form a pocket structure, a rear portion connected to the front sole portion, and a heel portion extending from a center rear end of the rear portion. A portion of the front sole portion corresponding to the upper portion is knitted from at least a second yarn by skip-needle single-knitting. Two opposite sides of the heel portion are respectively connected to left and right rear ends of the rear portion to form a 3D rear shoe portion with two joining lines formed between the heel portion and the rear portion.

A 3D shoe blank is an integral knit fabric without any sewn portion made by a flat knitting machine and includes an upper portion knitted from at least a yarn, a front sole portion knitted from the upper portion with a folding line therebetween and two connection lines at two sides of the front sole portion and the upper portion, so the front sole portion is folded and connected to the upper portion to form a pocket structure, a rear portion knitted from the front sole portion, and a heel portion extending from a center rear end of the rear portion, two opposite sides of the heel portion respectively connected to a left rear end and a right rear end of the rear portion to form a 3D rear shoe portion with two joining lines between the heel portion and the rear portion on the two opposite sides.

The present invention provides a method for knitting three-dimensional shoe blanks, comprising: knitting a heel and lateral portion; continuing knitting a rear sole portion; continuing knitting a front sole portion; continuing knitting a toe cap portion; and continuing knitting a tongue portion. When the knitting comes to the first connecting selvage edges at the two sides of the rear sole portion, the first connecting selvage edges can be knitted together with the lateral live stitches in the heel and lateral portion, so that the heel and lateral portion can be combined with the rear sole portion. Also, when the knitting comes to the second connecting selvage edges at the two sides of the toe cap portion, the second connecting selvage edges can be knitted together with the latitudinal live stitches in the front sole portion, so that the toe cap portion can be combined with the front sole portion.

A knitted component may include a first portion, where the first portion at least partially forms an underfoot area of an article of footwear. A second portion may be included, where the second portion at least partially forms an outer surface of a medial or a lateral side of an article of footwear. A forward portion may extend from an end of the first portion and may include a toebox area in a toe region of the knitted component. A knitted connection structure may be located between the toebox area of the forward portion and the second portion, where the second portion includes a first course, where the toebox area of the second portion includes a second course, and where the first course is secured to the second course through the knitted connection structure.

The present invention relates to a car seat cover and a method for knitting the same. The car seat cover comprises a headrest portion, a backrest portion and a seat cushion portion; the headrest portion comprises a front headrest piece and a rear headrest piece which are connected, a lower opening of the headrest potion being tightened; the backrest portion comprises a front backrest piece and a rear backrest piece which are connected, the front backrest piece being knitted by cubic knitting, sides of the backrest being knitted by Short Row and by adjusting the knitting tightness; and the seat cushion portion comprises a front seat cushion piece and a rear seat cushion piece which are connected, a seat cushion skirt portion being knitted by cubic knitting, and sides of the seat cushion being knitted by Short Row and by adjusting the knitting tightness. By knitting a seat cover by cubic knitting, the resulting products are cubic. Compared with the traditional way of wrapping a seat by stitching and splicing, the cover will fit the surface of the seat better. The procedures of knitting, dyeing, combining, cutting and stitching are reduced, the generation of scraps is avoided, and high degree of automation, high production efficiency, environmental protection, and reliable quality are realized.

Provided is a knitted fabric in which a first knitted fabric portion and a second knitted fabric portion that overlap each other in the thickness direction are joined to each other so as to be easily rotated about a joint position of the two knitted fabric portions, which serves as a rotation axis. The knitted fabric includes: a passage location (7) at which stitches (4a to 4d) of the n-th knitting course (4A) of the second knitted fabric portion (4) are passed through gaps between stitches in the first knitted fabric portion (2) from one surface side to the other surface side, so that the up and down positions in the thickness direction of the first knitted fabric portion (2) and the second knitted fabric portion (4) are reversed with respect to each other. Furthermore, a terminal portion (4y) of the second knitted fabric portion (4) is subjected to an unravel treatment in the vicinity of the passage location at which the second knitted fabric portion (4) is passed through the first knitted fabric portion (2), so that the first knitted fabric portion (2) and the second knitted fabric portion (4) are joined to each other at the passage location (7) . Here, the gaps are each surrounded by two adjacent stitches (2a and 2b through 2d and 2e) in the m-th knitting course (2A) of the first knitted fabric portion (2), a sinker loop that connects the adjacent stitches, and a sinker loop in the (m+1)-th knitting course (2B).