A knitted shoe upper with integrated rope threading process for the tongue

Abstract

This invention discloses an integrated rope-threading process for flyknit shoe uppers and tongues, belonging to the field of footwear manufacturing technology. It aims to solve the problems of complex connection structures between the tongue and upper in traditional flyknit shoe uppers, unreasonable layout of rope-threading holes, and exposed thread ends affecting aesthetics. This process utilizes the multi-yarn feeder of a flyknitting machine to seamlessly weave the tongue, collar, and main body of the upper. During weaving, rope-threading holes are pre-drilled on both sides of the tongue using a turning needle, and the end of the tongue is woven with a single-layer thin edge. Simultaneously, corresponding rope-threading holes are woven in the instep area of ​​the main body of the upper, with hidden holes pre-drilled at the bottom of the final layer of holes. After the upper is woven, the tongue is folded along the thin edge to align the holes, and flyknit ropes are crisscrossed and threaded through to secure it, with the thread ends hidden in the hidden holes. This invention achieves a seamless, integrated connection between the tongue and upper, simplifying the shoe manufacturing process, improving the overall aesthetics and wearing comfort of the upper, and possessing good practicality and promotional value.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a method of footwear manufacturing, and more specifically, to a process for integrating the ropes into the flyknit upper and tongue of footwear. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous development of athletic shoe manufacturing technology, flyknit technology has been widely used in modern footwear industry due to its ability to achieve integrated weaving of shoe uppers. Flyknit uppers, produced using specialized equipment such as knitting machines, can directly weave yarn into shoe uppers with complex structures and functions. Compared to traditional cutting and sewing processes, it offers advantages such as high material utilization, fast production efficiency, and strong structural integrity.

[0003] However, existing flyknit upper manufacturing technology still has some technical shortcomings in the integrated processing of the tongue and upper. Firstly, the connection structure between the tongue and the main body of the upper is often complex during the manufacturing process of traditional flyknit uppers, requiring additional sewing or gluing processes. This not only increases production costs but also affects the overall aesthetics of the upper. Secondly, the pre-reservation and layout of the lacing holes in existing technologies are not reasonable enough, especially the design of the lacing holes on the tongue, which often cannot achieve good alignment and fit with the lacing holes on the main body of the upper, making the lacing process complicated and affecting the wearing experience. Finally, after lacing, the handling of the loose threads has always been a technical challenge. Traditional methods are unable to effectively hide the loose threads, which not only affects the overall aesthetics of the upper but may also cause discomfort during wear, reducing the comfort and practicality of the product. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The technical problem to be solved by this invention is to provide a process for integrating the tongue and the upper of a flyknitted shoe with a rope threading mechanism. This process solves the technical problems of complex connection structure between the tongue and the upper in the manufacturing process of traditional flyknitted shoe uppers, unreasonable reservation and layout of rope threading holes, and difficulty in handling thread ends after rope threading. This process achieves the technical effect of integrated weaving of the tongue and the upper, improving the aesthetics of the upper and the comfort of wearing the shoe.

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is: a process for integrating the rope threading of the flyknit upper and tongue, comprising the following steps: S1. One-piece knitting: The knitted upper is formed by knitting the tongue, collar and main body of the upper in one piece using a knitting machine. During the knitting process, holes for threading rope are reserved on both sides of the tongue and the end of the tongue is knitted into a single-layer thin edge structure. In the area of ​​the upper body corresponding to the instep, at least one layered loop hole for threading rope is woven. S2. Threading and fixing: Provide a shoe rope, fold the shoe tongue along its single thin edge to cover the instep area, align the threading holes on the shoe tongue with the threading openings on the shoe upper body, and pass the shoe rope through the corresponding holes and openings in a crisscross manner to fix the shoe tongue to the shoe upper body.

[0006] Furthermore, in step S1, the flat knitting machine employs multiple yarn feeders to work together for weaving, with at least one dedicated yarn feeder used for weaving the shoe tongue.

[0007] Furthermore, the collar of the shoe upper is woven with No. 2 yarn, the tongue is woven with No. 5 yarn and also participates in the weaving of part of the main body of the shoe upper, and No. 3 yarn is used to participate in the weaving of the main body of the shoe upper.

[0008] Furthermore, in step S1, when weaving the rope-threading hole, a hidden hole is reserved at the bottom of the hole to conceal the end of the shoe rope thread using a turning-stitch technique.

[0009] Furthermore, the shoelaces are woven using a flyknit technique.

[0010] A flyknit upper, made using the flyknit upper and tongue integrated rope threading process described in any of the above technical solutions.

[0011] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: Compared with the prior art, the integrated manufacturing of the shoe tongue and upper is achieved through the knitting of the flyknitting machine, avoiding the problem of complex connection structure between the shoe tongue and upper in traditional processes; by reserving the threading holes and threading openings during the knitting process, the layout of the threading holes is more reasonable and accurately matched; by reserving hidden holes at the bottom of the threading openings, the problem of difficult thread handling is effectively solved, improving the overall aesthetics of the upper; the overall structure is more reasonable, significantly improving the manufacturing efficiency and product quality of the flyknitted upper, while also improving wearing comfort. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Figure 1 This is a front view of a knitted shoe upper according to a specific embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 A design sketch of the No. 5 yarn tip for a flyknit shoe upper, according to a specific embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a design diagram of the No. 2 yarn tip connecting the tongue and collar of a flyknitted shoe upper, which is a specific embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 A design sketch of the No. 5 yarn tip for a flyknit shoe upper, according to a specific embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 A design sketch of the No. 3 yarn tip for a flyknitted shoe upper, according to a specific embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6This is a photograph of a hidden hole in a knitted shoe upper according to a specific embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 This is a photograph of the shoelaces on a knitted shoe upper, showing how they are threaded together according to a specific embodiment of the present invention. Figure 8 This is a photograph of the crossed shoelaces on a flyknit shoe upper, according to a specific embodiment of the present invention. Figure 9 A photograph of a drawstring hole in a knitted shoe upper, according to a specific embodiment of the present invention; Figure 10 A photograph of a knitted shoe upper with the instep crossed over each other, according to a specific embodiment of the present invention; Figure 11 A photograph showing the shoelaces of a flyknit shoe upper threaded onto the back, according to a specific embodiment of the present invention; Figure 12 This is a photograph of a knitted shoe upper, specifically an embodiment of the present invention, showing the knitted material passing through a hidden hole and crisscrossing and knotting. Figure 13 This is a photograph of the back of a flyknit shoe upper according to a specific embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] Label Explanation: 1. Shoe tongue; 11. Edge finishing and overlocking; 12. Single side; 13. Turn-stitching and hole picking; 14. No. 5 yarn feeder; 2. Shoe collar; 21. Size 2 yarn tip; 3. Main body of the shoe upper; 31. No. 3 yarn tip; 32. Drawstring hole; 33. Hidden hole. Detailed Implementation

[0014] To explain in detail the technical content, objectives, and effects of the present invention, the following description is provided in conjunction with the embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0015] Please refer to Figures 1 to 13 This embodiment provides a flyknit upper and tongue integrated rope threading process. This process achieves the integrated molding of the tongue 1 and the upper through the collaborative weaving of multiple yarn nozzles on the flyknit flat knitting machine. The ingenious folding and rope threading design solves the problem of the traditional tongue 1 not being firmly fixed.

[0016] First, prepare the yarn needed for the flyknit upper. Thread the yarn onto yarn feeders 2, 3, and 5 (14) of the flyknitting machine. Yarn feeder 2 (21) is specifically used for knitting the collar section 2 of the upper; yarn feeder 5 (14) mainly knits the tongue section 1 and participates in knitting part of the main upper body 3; yarn feeder 3 (31) participates in knitting the main upper body 3. This multi-feeder division of labor ensures the knitting quality and structural characteristics of different parts.

[0017] S1: One-piece knitting: The flyknit upper is formed by one-piece knitting using a flat knitting machine, comprising the connected tongue 1, the collar 2, and the main body 3. The specific knitting process is as follows: First, using software to arrange the weaving, the tongue 1 is woven using a No. 5 yarn feeder 14. The No. 5 yarn feeder 14 introduces the desired weave pattern for the tongue 1, and the edge-locking 11 gives the tongue 1 different shapes. During the weaving of the tongue 1, threading holes 32 are pre-drilled on both sides of the tongue 1 using a turning-stitch hole 13 technique. The position and size of these holes are precisely calculated to ensure perfect alignment with the threading holes on the upper body 3. Simultaneously, the end of the tongue 1 is woven into a single-layer thin-edge structure. By weaving a thin single-edge 12 at the end of the tongue 1, the tongue 1 gains good flexibility, facilitating subsequent folding operations. Next, the collar 2 of the upper is woven using a No. 2 yarn feeder 21, connecting the collar to the single-edge 12 of the tongue 1, forming an integrated structural connection. Then, the upper body 3 is woven collaboratively using No. 3 and No. 5 yarn feeders 14. When weaving the main body 3 of the shoe upper to the area corresponding to the instep, partial weaving is performed using yarn feeder 14 (size 5) to form at least one layered drawstring hole. These holes run from left to right and precisely correspond to the holes pre-drilled in the tongue 1. During the weaving of the drawstring holes, especially when weaving the last double-layered hole, a hidden hole 33 is pre-drilled at the bottom using a turn-stitch technique to conceal the thread ends of the shoelaces. This hidden hole 33 cleverly hides the thread ends after the drawstring is threaded, enhancing the overall aesthetics of the shoe upper.

[0018] S2: Lacing and Fixing: After the upper is woven, a shoelace is woven using a flyknit process. The tongue 1 is folded over along its single-layer thin edge to cover the instep area. Due to the single-layer thin edge structure at the end of the tongue 1, the folding process is smooth and natural, without creating a bulky feel. After folding, the lacing holes 32 on the tongue 1 are precisely aligned with the lacing openings on the upper body 3. The flyknit shoelace is passed through the corresponding holes and openings in a crisscross pattern, firmly fixing the tongue 1 to the upper body 3 through this crisscrossing method. During the lacing process, the thread ends can be hidden in the pre-drilled concealed holes 33, ensuring a neat overall appearance. Finally, ironing and shaping are performed to complete the entire upper. Through this integrated weaving and folding lacing process, a perfect combination of the tongue 1 and the upper is achieved, ensuring not only structural strength but also enhancing the overall aesthetics and wearing comfort of the upper. The shoelace made using the flyknit process forms a unified texture and style with the entire upper, further improving the overall quality of the product.

[0019] Example 2.

[0020] This embodiment provides a flyknit upper, which is made using the integrated stringing process described in Embodiment 1 for the flyknit upper tongue 1. The flyknit upper has an integrated structure, comprising three main parts: the interconnected tongue 1, the upper collar 2, and the upper body 3. The tongue 1 is located slightly above the center of the upper and is seamlessly connected to the upper collar 2 via the flyknit process. Stringing holes 32 are provided on both sides of the tongue 1. These holes are formed directly during the knitting process using a turning-stitching hole 13 technique, and their positions are precisely calculated to ensure perfect correspondence with the stringing holes on the upper body 3. The end of the tongue 1 features a single-layer thin-edge structure design. A special knitting process gives this part good flexibility and lightness, facilitating folding without creating a bulky feel. The upper collar 2 surrounds the shoe opening and is knitted using a No. 2 yarn nozzle 21, achieving an integrated connection with one side 12 of the tongue 1, ensuring the integrity and strength of the entire upper structure.

[0021] The upper body 3 constitutes the main coverage area of ​​the shoe upper, with at least one layered lacing hole in a specific area corresponding to the instep. These holes extend from left to right and are formed using a partial weaving technique with a No. 5 yarn tip 14, precisely corresponding in spatial position to the holes pre-drilled on the tongue 1. At the bottom of the last double-layered hole, a hidden hole 33 is pre-drilled using a folding stitch technique. This hidden hole 33 is specifically used to hide the lacing thread ends, enhancing the overall aesthetics of the upper. The flyknit upper is equipped with a lacing thread woven using the flyknit technique. The lacing thread is made using the same flyknit technique as the entire upper, ensuring consistency in texture and style. In use, the tongue 1 is folded along its single-layer thin edge to cover the instep area. After folding, the lacing holes 32 on the tongue 1 are precisely aligned with the lacing holes on the upper body 3. The lacing thread passes through the corresponding holes and openings in a crisscross manner, firmly fixing the tongue 1 to the upper body 3. The lacing thread ends can be cleverly hidden in the pre-drilled hidden hole 33. Through this integrated weaving and folding rope structure design, the flyknit upper achieves a perfect combination of the tongue 1 and the upper, which not only ensures the structural strength but also improves the overall aesthetics and wearing comfort, solving the technical problem of the traditional tongue 1 not being firmly fixed.

[0022] The above description is merely an embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent modifications made based on the content of the present invention specification and drawings, or direct or indirect applications in related technical fields, are similarly included within the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A one-piece rope-threading process for a flyknit upper and tongue, characterized in that, Includes the following steps: S1. One-piece knitting: The knitted upper is formed by knitting the tongue, collar and main body of the upper in one piece using a knitting machine. During the knitting process, holes for threading rope are reserved on both sides of the tongue and the end of the tongue is knitted into a single-layer thin edge structure. In the area of ​​the upper body corresponding to the instep, at least one layered loop hole for threading rope is woven. S2. Threading and fixing: Provide a shoe rope, fold the shoe tongue along its single thin edge to cover the instep area, align the threading holes on the shoe tongue with the threading openings on the shoe upper body, and pass the shoe rope through the corresponding holes and openings in a crisscross manner to fix the shoe tongue to the shoe upper body.

2. The integrated rope-threading process for the flyknit upper and tongue as described in claim 1, characterized in that, In step S1, the flat knitting machine uses multiple yarn nozzles to work together to knit, with at least one dedicated yarn nozzle used for knitting the shoe tongue.

3. The integrated rope-threading process for the flyknit upper and tongue as described in claim 2, characterized in that, The collar of the shoe upper is woven with No. 2 yarn, the tongue is woven with No. 5 yarn and it also participates in the weaving of part of the main body of the shoe upper. No. 3 yarn is used to participate in the weaving of the main body of the shoe upper.

4. The integrated rope-threading process for the flyknit upper and tongue as described in claim 1, characterized in that, In step S1, when weaving the rope-threading hole, a hidden hole is reserved at the bottom using a turning-stitch technique to conceal the end of the shoe rope thread.

5. The integrated rope-threading process for the flyknit upper and tongue according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The shoelaces are woven using a flyknit technique.

6. A flyknit upper made by the processing method of the flyknit upper tongue integrated rope threading process according to any one of claims 1-5.

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