A WOVEN UPPER

Abstract

The present invention provides a woven upper formed of warp yarns and weft yarns comprising a first area that is elastic in at least one of the warp or weft direction. The warp yarns and/or the weft yarns comprise at least 5% elastic yarns. The woven upper being characterised in that the elastic yarns are woven in tension. The upper may also comprise a second area having a different elasticity to the first area, wherein the the warp yarns and/or weft yarns of the second area comprise at least 5% fewer elastic yarns than the equivalent yarns of the first area. Advantageously the woven upper is woven using a jacquard machine. The present invention also provides a method of weaving the woven upper.

Claims

1-25. (canceled)

26. A woven upper formed of warp and weft yarns, comprising: a first area, wherein the first area comprises elastic yarns and non-elastic yarns; wherein the warp yarns and/or the weft yarns of the first area comprise at least 5% elastic yarns, wherein the elastic yarns are woven in tension.

27. A woven upper according to claim 26, wherein the warp yarns of the first area comprise at least 5% more elastic yarns than the weft yarns.

28. A woven upper according to claim 26, wherein the warp yarns of the first area comprise at least 20% elastic yarns.

29. A woven upper according to claim 28, wherein the warp yarns of the first area comprise at least 50% elastic yarns.

30. A woven upper according to claim 26, wherein the weft yarns comprise at least 5% more elastic yarns than the warp yarns.

31. A woven upper according to claim 30, wherein the weft yarns of the first area comprise at least 20% elastic yarns.

32. A woven upper according to claim 31, wherein the weft yarns of the first area comprise at least 50% elastic yarns.

33. A woven upper according to claim 26, further comprising: a second area; wherein the first area has a greater elasticity in the warp and/or the weft direction than the second area, wherein the warp yarns and/or weft yarns of the second area comprise at least 5% fewer elastic yarns than the equivalent yarns of the first area, wherein the elastic yarns are woven in tension.

34. A woven upper according to claim 33, wherein the warp yarns and/or the weft yarns of the first area and/or the second area comprise a mixture of elastic yarns and non- elastic yarns.

35. A woven upper according to claim 33, wherein the warp yarns and/or the weft yarns of the second area consist exclusively of non-elastic yarns.

36. A woven upper according to claim 33, further comprising a third area having a different elasticity from the first area and the second area in the warp and/or weft directions.

37. A woven upper according to claim 33, wherein during weaving of the upper the elastic yarns were extended from a rest length by at least 20%.

38. A woven upper according to claim 37, wherein during weaving of the upper the elastic yarns were extended from a rest length by at least 100%.

39. A woven upper according to claim 26, wherein the non-elastic yarns of the upper comprise one or more of polyester, polyamide (basic or HT), polyester (basic or HT), polypropylene, PET, TPU, aramide (meta and para-aramide), HDPE, PTFE, PU, PVC, acrylic, carbon, viscose, acetate, modal, Tencel, cellulosic yarns, wool, silk, cotton, linen, yuta, ramie or hemp yarns.

40. A woven upper according to claim 26, wherein the warp yarns or the weft yarns of the first area consist exclusively of elastic yarns.

41. A woven upper according to claim 26, wherein during weaving of the upper, the elastic yarns were extended from a rest length by at least 5%.

42. A woven upper according to claim 41, wherein during weaving of the upper the elastic yarns were extended from a rest length by at least 50%.

43. A woven upper according to claim 26, wherein the elastic yarns of the upper comprise one or more of elastane, polyurethane, rubber, or silicone yarns.

44. A woven upper according to claim 26, wherein the first area and any second area comprise between 30 and 72 warp yarns/cm.

45. A woven upper according to claim 26, further comprising a plurality of eyelets formed on a surface of the woven upper, the eyelets being formed of either the warp yarns or the weft yarns of the upper.

46. A woven upper according to claim 26, further comprising a plurality of eyelets formed on a surface of the woven upper, the eyelets being formed of ribbon woven in the warp or weft of the upper.

47. A method of weaving an upper formed of warp and weft yarns, the method comprising the steps of: providing a first warp yarn and a first weft yarn; and weaving a woven upper having a first area woven from the first warp yarn and the first weft yarn; wherein the first warp yarn and/or the first weft yarn comprise at least 5% elastic yarns, wherein the first warp yarn and the first weft yarn comprise elastic yarns and non-elastic yarns, wherein the elastic yarns are woven in tension.

48. A method of weaving the upper according to claim 47, further comprising the steps of: providing a second warp yarn and a second weft yarn; and weaving the woven upper having a second area woven from the second warp yarn and the second weft yarn; wherein the second warp yarn and/or the second weft yarn comprises at least 5% fewer elastic yarns than the equivalent first yarn, wherein the elastic yarns are woven in tension.

49. A method of weaving the upper according to claim 48, wherein the first area and the second area are woven with different patterns so that they can be visually differentiated.

50. A method of weaving the upper according to claim 47, wherein the upper is woven using a jacquard machine.

Description

DRAWINGS

[0049] FIG. 1 is a first embodiment of a woven upper according to the present invention;

[0050] FIG. 2 is a second embodiment of a woven upper according to the present invention;

[0051] FIG. 3 is a schematic of a third embodiment of a woven upper according to the present invention;

[0052] FIG. 4 is a first image of a fourth embodiment of a woven upper according to the present invention; and

[0053] FIG. 5 is a second image of a fourth embodiment of a woven upper according to the present invention.

[0054] A simple embodiment of a woven upper 1 according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 1. The woven upper 1 consists of a piece of woven material that has been woven on a jacquard machine. The woven upper consists of a third area 2, a second area 3, and two first areas 4. The third area 2, second area 3, and first areas 4 are woven with different weaving patterns and have different elastic properties. In the third area 2, both warp yarns and weft yarns consist of elastic yarns providing elasticity in both the warp and the weft direction. In the second area 3, the warp yarns and the weft yarns consist of inelastic yarns such that the second area is not elastic in either the warp direction or the weft direction. In the first area 4, the warp yarns are inelastic and the weft yarns are elastic such that the third area is elastic in only the weft direction. In this manner a single woven upper has varying elastic properties.

[0055] The elastic yarns of the woven upper 1 are formed of elastane continuous mono-filament yarn with count 44 dTex. The elastic yarns have between 11 and 14 interlacing points per 10 cm. The inelastic yarns of the woven upper are formed of polyester continuous flat filaments with count 167 dTex/48 filaments flat. The inelastic yarns have between 9 and 11 interlacing points per 10 cm. During interlacing the elastic yarns are stretched to 200% of their rest length. That is, during weaving the elastic yarns are extended to twice their rest length and are under tension.

[0056] After weaving the tension on the elastic yarns is released. Finally, the woven upper 1 is heat set using an appropriate method.

[0057] A second simple embodiment of a woven upper 1 according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 2. The woven upper 1 of FIG. 2 comprises a third area 5, two second areas 6, and four first areas 7. As for the embodiment of FIG. 1, the third area 5, second areas 6, and first areas 7 are woven with different patterns to visually differentiate the areas. The third area 5, second areas 6, and first areas 7 have differing elastic properties. This is achieved by utilising the different weaving patterns and by providing different composition of elastic yarns in the warp and weft directions between the different the third, second, and first areas 5, 6, 7. Each of the waft and weft directions of the first, second, and third areas comprise inelastic yarns and varying amounts of elastic yarns. An increased portion of elastic yarns in the warp and weft directions provides greater elasticity in the relevant direction.

[0058] As for the first embodiment, the elastic yarns of the woven upper 1 of the second embodiment are formed of elastane continuous mono-filament yarn with count 44 dTex. The elastic yarns have between 11 and 14 interlacing points per 10 cm. The inelastic yarns of the woven upper are formed of polyester continuous flat filaments with count 167 dTex/48 filaments flat. The inelastic yarns have between 9 and 11 interlacing points per 10 cm. During interlacing the elastic yarns are stretched to 200% of their rest length. That is, during weaving the elastic yarns are extended to twice their rest length and are under tension. After weaving the tension on the elastic yarns is released. Finally, the woven upper 1 is heat set using an appropriate method.

[0059] A third embodiment of a woven upper 1 according to the present invention is shown in FIG. 3. The woven upper 1 is formed in the same manner and from the same materials as the first and second embodiments of the invention. The third embodiment comprises first areas 8, second areas 9, third areas 10, and fourth areas 11, each having different elastic properties. The differing elastic properties being provided by differing proportions of elastic yarns being present in the warp and weft directions between the first, second, third, and fourth areas 8, 9, 10, 11. The third embodiment is provided to illustrate the complexity of patterns of woven uppers 1 that can be obtained in embodiments of the present invention. This complexity is achievable due to the unitary woven nature of the uppers 1. Different uppers 1 can be provided for any particular use depending on the requirements of a shoe that the upper will form part of.

[0060] A fourth embodiment of a woven upper 1 according to the present invention is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. As for the first to third embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the woven upper comprises first areas 12, a second areas 13, and third areas 14. The first, second, and third areas 12, 13, 14 have differing elastic properties provided by differing proportions of elastic yarns being present in the warp and weft directions. In addition, the woven upper comprises a plurality of eyelets 15 formed on the upper surface. The eyelets 15 are formed of the weft yarns of the upper and are formed during weaving of the woven upper 1. In particular, the weaving of the upper 1 using a jacquard machine allows the formation of the eyelets 15 during weaving of the upper 1, rather than adding the eyelets in a separate process step after weaving of the upper 1. A shoe lace 16 is positioned through the eyelets 15 to show the function of the eyelets.