METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING A FOOTWEAR ARTICLE

Abstract

The subject of this disclosure is a method for manufacturing a footwear article comprising providing of a first knitted tubular part comprising at least one fusible portion, at least one sole part, at least one flattening opening of unitary knitted construction with the first knitted tubular part and extending at least in the sole part, and providing one or more functional components, disposing, at least partly, the first tubular part substantially flat using the flattening opening; functionalizing the first knitted tubular part, at least partly, substantially flat with one or more functional components to form a footwear assembly; and transforming the footwear assembly on a preform having the foot shape in an upper, transforming the footwear assembly comprising thermoforming the footwear assembly to follow the foot shape of the preform.

Claims

1-17. (canceled)

18. A method for manufacturing a footwear article comprising: providing a first knitted tubular part comprising at least one fusible portion, at least one sole part, at least one flattening opening of unitary knitted construction with the first knitted tubular part and extending at least in the sole part, and one or more functional components; disposing, at least partly, the first tubular part substantially flat using the flattening opening; functionalizing the first knitted tubular part, at least partly, substantially flat, with one or more functional components to form a footwear assembly; and transforming the footwear assembly on a preform having a foot shape in an upper, wherein transforming the footwear assembly comprises thermoforming the footwear assembly to follow the foot shape of the preform.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the sole part of the first tubular part comprises a rear edge and a front edge, and the flattening opening extends between the rear edge and the front edge.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the first knitted tubular part is disposed, at least partly, substantially flat, during functionalizing, on a support, such as to present an upper planar portion to be functionalized opposite to a lower planar portion comprising, at least in part, at least one flattening opening.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the flattening opening is closed before transforming the footwear assembly.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising providing a second knitted tubular part, wherein the footwear assembly that is transformed comprises the first and second knitted tubular parts, at least in part, superimposed, linked to one or more functional components.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein transforming the footwear assembly further comprises the at least partial securing of the first and second knitted tubular parts to one another.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising the layout of at least one functional component between the first knitted tubular part and the second knitted tubular part.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the first knitted tubular part forms an outer layer of the upper and the second knitted tubular part forms an inner layer of the upper.

26. The method of claim 22, further comprising providing a knitted tubular component, wherein the first knitted tubular part and the second knitted tubular part are of unitary knitted construction with the knitted tubular component such as to form an element made of a knitted piece.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein the first knitted tubular part comprises an opening area for insertion of the foot and the second knitted tubular part comprises an opening area for insertion of the foot, wherein the foot insertion opening areas are superimposed.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein the second knitted tubular part comprises one or more fusible yarns, wherein the ratio of the weight of the at least partly fusible yarns to the total weight of the second knitted tubular part is less than or equal to 80%.

29. The method of claim 18, wherein the at least one functional components are selected from a group of at least one of: a polymer film, at least partly fusible, a heel reinforcement element, a logo, an esthetic element, a hard cap, a textile element, a reinforcement element of a lacing area, a shock-absorbing element, an auxiliary knitted tubular part, or a combination thereof.

30. The method of claim 18, wherein the first knitted tubular part comprises one or more at least partly fusible yarns, wherein the ratio of the weight of the at least partly fusible yarns to the total weight of the first knitted tubular part is greater than or equal to 20%.

31. The method of claim 18, wherein the one or more functional components is disposed on at least one face selected from a group of: the outer face of the first knitted tubular part , the inner face of the first knitted tubular part, or a combination thereof.

32. The method of claim 18, wherein the one or more functional components is a film comprising at least one fusible material.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein after functionalizing, the film forms a coating covering at least 10% of an outer surface of the upper.

34. The method of claim 18, wherein the upper comprises a sole part, and further comprising securing at least one sole element chosen from a midsole and an outsole to the sole part.

35. An article of footwear prepared in accordance with the method of: providing a first knitted tubular part comprising at least one fusible portion, at least one sole part, at least one flattening opening of unitary knitted construction with the first knitted tubular part and extending at least in the sole part, and one or more functional components; disposing, at least partly, the first tubular part substantially flat using the flattening opening; functionalizing the first knitted tubular part, at least partly, substantially flat, with one or more functional components to form a footwear assembly; transforming the footwear assembly on a preform having a foot shape in an upper, wherein transforming the footwear assembly comprises thermoforming the footwear assembly to follow the foot shape of the preform.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0140] The disclosure will be better understood on reading the following description of an aspect of the disclosure given by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the appended drawings, wherein:

[0141] FIG. 1 illustrates a first knitted tubular component including first and second knitted tubular parts;

[0142] FIG. 2 illustrates the first knitted tubular part of the component shown in FIG. 1, in bottom view;

[0143] FIG. 3 shows a second example of a knitted tubular component;

[0144] FIG. 4 shows the first knitted tubular part of the component shown in FIG. 1 partially flattened on a support, in top view;

[0145] FIG. 5 illustrates the first knitted tubular part of the component shown in FIG. 1 partially flattened on a support, in bottom view; and

[0146] FIG. 6 illustrates the closed longitudinal flattening opening of the sole part of the first knitted tubular part of the component of FIG. 1;

[0147] FIG. 7 illustrates an example of a footwear assembly disposed on the outer surface of a preform, in longitudinal section view;

[0148] FIG. 8 illustrates the footwear assembly disposed on the outer surface of a preform placed in a molding volume for step (iv);

[0149] FIG. 9 illustrates an example of a footwear article according to the disclosure including an upper obtained at the end of the transforming step (iv).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0150] FIG. 1 shows a first example of a knitted tubular component 10 made as a single piece 15, including a first knitted tubular part 20 and a second knitted tubular part 30, each one of which is elbow-bent. The knitted tubular component 10 thus has a substantial U-shape. The first and second knitted tubular parts 20, 30 are of unitary knitted construction with the knitted tubular component 10. The first knitted tubular part 20 may include an open distal end 22, which may be closed by sewing before disposition on the preform 50, an open proximal end 24 delimiting an area of insertion of the foot 26, as well as a volume 28 for housing the foot. The second knitted tubular part 30 may include a distal end 32 closed during the knitting of the tubular component 10, and an open proximal end 34 delimiting an area of insertion of the foot 36 as well as a volume 38 for housing the foot. In an example, the first and second knitted tubular parts 20, 30 may include respective heel areas 25, 35 intended to receive the heel of the foot of the user. During the programming of the knitting machine to knit the knitted tubular component 10, the zoning of the first and second knitted tubular parts 20, 20 is determined according to different knit schemes (reverse jersey, straight jersey, ribbing etc.) and different types of yarn (differing by their nature and/or their color and/or their transparency and/or their titer (dtex)). It is thus possible to vary the relief, thickness, appearance, and functionality of the determined area or areas, and this for the first knitted tubular part 20 and the second knitted tubular part 30, independently of one another.

[0151] Alternatively, a single one of the first and second tubular parts 20 and 30 may include an elbow-bent portion such that the tubular component 10 has a general L-shape.

[0152] The first knitted tubular part 20 may include at least partly fusible yarns disposed in one or more portions. The second knitted tubular part 30 may also include one or more fusible portions formed of at least partly fusible yarns. The at least partly fusible yarns for example account for at least 30% in weight, and at the most 60% in weight, of the total weight of the first knitted tubular part, and are distributed over the entirety of the latter. Alternatively, the first knitted envelope 20 may be essentially composed of fusible yarns.

[0153] The at least partly fusible yarns account, for example, for at least 50% in weight, and at the most 80% in weight, of the total weight of the second knitted tubular part, and are distributed over the entirety of the latter. This disposition can of course vary according to the stability and flexibility desired.

[0154] FIG. 2 shows the first knitted tubular part 20 in bottom view, the sole part 27 of which may include a longitudinal flattening opening 29 disposed between the front 27a and back 27b edges. The longitudinal opening 29 is a through opening, i.e. it opens both on the outer face 21 and the inner face 23 of the first knitted tubular part 20. The opening 29 is formed of a single substantially straight segment. The longitudinal opening 29 is delimited by a medial edge 29a and a lateral edge 29b, and has a length l1 between 50% and 90% of the length p of the sole part 27, including between 60% and 80% of the length p.

[0155] FIG. 3 shows a second example of a knitted tubular component 100 also made as a single piece 150, including first and second knitted tubular parts 200 and 300. The knitted tubular component 100 is substantially straight, the first and second tubular portions 200 and 300 not including any elbow portions. The sole part 270 may include a longitudinal opening 290 similar to the longitudinal opening 29.

[0156] The longitudinal opening 29 of the knitted tubular component 10 makes it possible to flatten the first tubular part 20 on a support S as shown in FIG. 4 in top view for its functionalizing, here of the outer face 21 of the forefoot, medial and lateral parts of the first knitted tubular part 20. FIG. 4 thus shows an upper planar portion 42 of the first knitted tubular part 20, opposite a planar lower portion 44 shown in FIG. 5. The open distal end 22 can be closed before or after the functionalizing step (iii) to form the tip of the foot receiving the toes of the first knitted tubular part 20. Advantageously, the flattening longitudinal opening 29 is formed during the knitting of the first knitted tubular part 20, and therefore of the knitting of the knitted tubular component 10. The medial and lateral edges 29a and 29b may not include any cut threads. They can for example be formed by stitch transfer, such that they do not risk unraveling. This is because the unraveling of the edges could alter the structure of the sole part 27 and propagate to the other parts of the first knitted tubular part 20. The longitudinal opening 29 formed by knitting makes it possible to dispense with a cutting-out step, to form an opening, the position and size of which are reproducible but also to improve the stability of the structure during the functionalizing when flat.

[0157] Four functional components 75 are secured to the outer face 21, for example by a seam, or a weld (particularly heat welding, for example ultrasonic) or using an adhesive agent. The functional components 75 are cited by way of non-limiting example for illustrative purposes; other functional components could be implemented, and according to different regions on the outer face 21 and/or the inner face 23 of the first knitted tubular part 20. The size and location retained for the functional components are however limited to the available planar surface shown in FIG. 4. The second knitted tubular part 30 is not shown for simplicity's sake in FIGS. 4 and 5. Here the outer face 23 is available to be functionalized but the first knitted tubular part 20 could be turned over and flattened to functionalize its inner face 21. As can be seen in FIG. 7, the footwear assembly 40 also may include a functional component 60 which is a heel reinforcement and a functional component 70 which is a shock-absorbing instep. The functional components 60 and 70 are disposed between the first and second knitted tubular parts 20 and 30, respectively between the instep parts and the hindfoot parts at the level of the heel. The functional component 60 extends vertically to the longitudinal axis L. These components 70 and 60 are not shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 for simplicity's sake, but may be secured to the inner face 23 of the upper planar portion 42 of the first knitted tubular part 20.

[0158] The longitudinal opening 29 is then closed, particularly using a seam 35 in order to restore volume to the footwear assembly 40, then the footwear assembly 40 is placed on a preform 50 as shown in FIG. 7 to undergo a transforming step (iv) during which the preform 50 covered in the footwear assembly 40 is placed in a molding volume 80. The molding volume 80 is delimited between, on the one hand, the preform 50 covered in the footwear assembly 40 and on the other hand, the volume formed by a mold 90 made of two parts 95 and 96. The inner volume of the mold 90 substantially corresponding to the footprint of the foot-shaped preform 50. Alternatively, the molding volume can also be delimited between the outer surface of the preform 50 and a flexible airtight membrane, comprising a hollow form substantially in the foot shape to fit the footwear assembly disposed on the preform 50.

[0159] Heat, particularly combined with water vapor, is then applied to the footwear assembly 40 in order to thermoform the footwear assembly 40 to the foot shape of the preform 50. The fusible portion(s) may include the first knitted tubular part 20 and eventually include the second knitted tubular part 30, is/are melted/softened during the transforming step (iv). The footwear assembly 40 is also compressed against the outer surface of the preform 50. The footwear assembly 40, still on the preform 50, is then cooled, particularly at ambient temperature, and then keeps the shape of the outer surface of the preform 50. This transforming step (iv) further allows the thermoforming to secure to one another the first and second knitted tubular parts 20 and 30 particularly at least partially according to their respective inner 23 and outer 31 faces.

[0160] The knitted tubular component 10 may alternatively include solely the first knitted tubular part 20. In this case, the transforming step allows only the thermoforming of the first knitted tubular part without securing.

[0161] Alternatively again, the first knitted tubular part 20 can be disposed in the inner volume 38 of the second knitted tubular part 30. The second knitted tubular part then forms the outer layer of the footwear assembly and the first knitted tubular part forms the inner layer.

[0162] The preform may also include perforations, in particular having a diameter of 5 mm to 10 mm approximately, opening onto an inner volume of the preform such that the perforations and the inner volume of the preform are in fluid connection. The perforations make it possible to inject water vapor over the footwear assembly starting from the inner volume. This disposition makes the obtained upper more flexible.

[0163] The transforming step (iv) allows the formation of an upper 400, the sole part 450 of which is then secured to a sole element 500 for the obtaining of the footwear article 1 shown in FIG. 9. The upper 400 may thus include different knitted areas 401 to 406 for the first knitted tubular part 20. The areas 401 to 406 differ by their knit schemes, their colors, their elasticity or their stiffness. The areas 406 thus correspond to knitted unidirectional reinforcement elements reinforcing the medial and lateral parts of the upper 400.

[0164] The flattening opening shown in the figures is a longitudinal opening. Of course, the opening can have the shape of a cross or another shape as long as the shape of this opening allows the flattening of the knitted tubular part include therein.