Double Layer Circular Knit Footwear Upper
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional footwear manufacturing is labor-intensive and inefficient due to the need for cut-sew-assembly operations, and flat knitting has design limits and production inefficiencies despite increased material utilization.
Innovation Solution
A double-layer knitted footwear article with a circular knit construction, featuring an outer and inner knit layer that are monolithically knit together with binding yarns or adhesive materials to form a stable and durable upper, allowing for efficient production and attachment of a sole component.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional cut-sew-assembly manufacturing is used, then footwear articles can be produced with traditional materials and designs, but the process is labor-intensive and inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate manufacturing operations (cutting, knitting, forming, and assembly) into a single integrated circular knitting process. The circular knit structure is formed monolithically in one continuous operation, eliminating the need for separate cutting and sewing steps, thereby dramatically improving productivity and reducing labor intensity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical cutting and sewing systems with a circular knitting system that creates the final three-dimensional structure through programmed needle selection and yarn feeding. This substitution transforms a multi-step mechanical assembly process into a single automated knitting process, enhancing manufacturing efficiency
2Loss of substance
If flat bed knitting is used to form planar knitted fabric blanks, then material utilization increases, but design limits and production inefficiencies occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from two-dimensional flat bed knitting to three-dimensional circular knitting. The circular knit structure is formed as a tubular three-dimensional form that can be directly shaped into the final footwear article, eliminating the need for flat blank formation and subsequent complex shaping operations, thereby improving production efficiency while maintaining material utilization benefits
3Device complexity
If flat knitting is used to form shoe uppers, then fewer sewing steps are required, but design limits and production inefficiencies remain
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the functions of pattern formation, structure creation, and three-dimensional shaping into a single circular knitting process. The monolithic circular knit structure integrates what would otherwise require multiple separate knitting and sewing operations, reducing device complexity and eliminating production bottlenecks while maintaining design flexibility
Data Source
AI summary
An aspect of the disclosure is a footwear article. The footwear article includes a double layer knitted upper having a foot bed, an upper portion continuous with the foot bed, an ankle opening, and an inner void for receiving a foot of a wearer. The double layer knitted upper has an outer knit layer defining an exterior surface of the double layer knitted upper. The double layer knitted upper also has an inner knit layer monolithically knit to the outer knit layer. The inner knit layer has a plurality of inner knit regions that spatially correspond to the plurality of outer knit regions of the outer knit layer. The outer knit layer and the inner knit layer substantially define the foot bed and the upper portion of the double layer knitted upper.