Seamless Knitted Shoe Upper via Wing Portion Merging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shoe components with seams reduce comfort and increase manufacturing costs due to the need for stitching, which complicates the production process.
Innovation Solution
A method using a four-bed flat knitting machine to create seamless knitted shoe components by knitting toe, wing, and heel portions without seams, allowing for efficient and cost-effective production of three-dimensional shoe uppers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If textiles and fabrics are stitched together to form a three-dimensional shoe upper, then the structural integrity and shape of the shoe component is improved, but the comfort of the wearer deteriorates due to the presence of seams
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple fabric pieces into a single seamless knitted structure. The knitting process integrates toe portions, wing portions, and heel portions into one continuous fabric without requiring separate stitching operations, thereby eliminating seams while maintaining structural integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical stitching process with a knitting process. Instead of using needles and thread to join separate fabric pieces, the knitting machine creates a unified structure through interlocking loops of yarn, substituting one mechanical system for another that achieves the same structural goal without harmful seams.
2Shape
If separate portions of textiles are stitched together to form shoe components, then the desired three-dimensional shape is achieved, but the manufacturing efficiency deteriorates due to the time-consuming stitching process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple knitting operations into a single continuous process. The knitting machine produces toe portions, wing portions, and heel portions in one uninterrupted sequence, eliminating the need for separate stitching operations and significantly improving manufacturing efficiency while achieving the required three-dimensional shape.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent maintains continuous knitting action throughout the production process. The knitting machine operates without interruption to create the entire shoe upper structure, avoiding the stop-start nature of stitching operations and thereby enhancing productivity through uninterrupted manufacturing.
3Shape
If multiple separate fabric pieces are joined by stitching, then the complex three-dimensional structure of the shoe upper is formed, but the manufacturing cost increases due to additional labor and materials
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the production of multiple shoe upper components into a single knitting operation. By creating toe portions, wing portions, and heel portions in one continuous process using one set of knitting needles and yarn, the patent eliminates the need for separate manufacturing steps, labor, and joining materials, thereby reducing overall manufacturing cost while achieving the complex three-dimensional structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the knitting machine perform multiple functions in sequence - producing different portions of the shoe upper (toe, wing, heel) with different structural requirements all in one operation. This multi-functionality consolidates what would otherwise require multiple specialized processes, reducing manufacturing complexity and cost.
Data Source
Figure 1A~1E
Figure 2A~2G
Figure 3A~3K
AI summary
In one aspect, methods of making a knitted shoe component are described herein. In some embodiments, a method comprises knitting one or more fibers to form a toe portion; knitting one or more fibers to form a first wing portion; and knitting one or more fibers to form a second wing portion. The first and second wing portions extend from the toe portion and are knittingly connected to the toe portion. The method further comprises reducing the lateral separation between the first and second wing portions from an initial separation distance to a knitting separation distance such that the wing portions can be knitted together to form a seamless heel portion of the shoe component, including using a series of stitch transfer, racking, and knitting steps.