Knitted Footwear Upper Structure for Lightweight Foot Containment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional knitted footwear uppers lack sufficient structure and containment, leading to foot displacement during movement, and additional components added post-knitting increase weight, production time, and reduce recyclability.

Innovation Solution

Knitted components with radially-extending knit courses and inlaid strands, formed through a continuous knitting process, provide multi-directional containment and stability, using high-tenacity yarns and engineering filaments for reinforcement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If additional components are added to a knitted upper through post-knitting processes to keep the foot contained, then foot containment is improved, but weight increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefoot containmentVSAvoidweight of upper

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the containment function with the knitted upper structure itself by integrating radially-extending knit courses directly into the knitting process. This merging eliminates the need for separate post-knitting containment components, thereby maintaining foot containment while avoiding additional weight from separate parts.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The containment structure is built into the knitted upper during the initial knitting process rather than being added afterward. The radially-extending knit courses are formed as part of the base knitted structure, providing containment functionality before the upper is assembled into the footwear, thus preventing weight increase from post-assembly additions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If additional components are added to a knitted upper through post-knitting processes to keep the foot contained, then foot containment is improved, but production time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefoot containmentVSAvoidproduction time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The containment function is merged with the knitting process itself. The radially-extending knit courses that provide containment are formed during the base knitting operation, combining what would have been separate containment component manufacturing and assembly steps into a single integrated knitting process, thereby reducing production time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The containment structure is preliminarily formed during the knitting process itself rather than being added in a subsequent post-knitting step. By building the radially-extending courses into the upper during manufacturing, the containment functionality is established before assembly, eliminating additional production steps and reducing overall production time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If additional components are added to a knitted upper through post-knitting processes to keep the foot contained, then foot containment is improved, but recyclability is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefoot containmentVSAvoidrecyclability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The containment function is merged into the knitted upper structure itself through radially-extending knit courses that are integral to the upper material. This eliminates the need for separate containment components that would be difficult to separate and recycle, allowing the entire upper to be recycled as a single textile component.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The containment structure is made homogeneous with the rest of the upper by using the same knitted construction method throughout. The radially-extending courses are formed from the same yarn and knitting process as the rest of the upper, creating a uniform material composition that is easier to recycle compared to multi-material constructions with separate containment components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #33Homogeneity

4Ease of manufacture

If conventional knitting processes are used, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but foot containment is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveknitting process simplicityVSAvoidfoot containment

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by implementing radially-extending knit courses in specific regions of the upper where containment is needed, such as the midfoot and heel areas. This allows conventional knitting processes to be used for the overall structure while locally enhancing containment properties in critical areas through the radial course pattern, maintaining manufacturing simplicity while improving foot containment where required.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentUS12543814B2Articles of footwear with knitted components and methods of manufacturing the same

Publication Date: 2026.02.10 NIKE INC

AI summary

A knitted component having an outer perimeter and a common portion, which may be a centrally-located region, such as a throat region and/or a collar region. A plurality of courses of the knitted component extend between the outer perimeter and the common portion such that the courses may be radially-extending outwards from the common portion. One or more continuous strand may be inlaid within the knit courses to form a plurality of strand segments that extend within respective ones of the plurality of courses of the knitted component between the outer perimeter and the common portion of the knitted component.