US 11,937,662 B1
Upper for article of footwear incorporating a knitted butterfly workpiece
Samuel Scott Rathburn, Portland, OR (US); Kathryn Carey Fleming, Portland, OR (US); and Mark Francis Murphy, Portland, OR (US)
Assigned to LULULEMON ATHLETICA CANADA INC., Vancouver (CA)
Filed by LULULEMON ATHLETICA CANADA INC., Vancouver (CA)
Filed on Jun. 9, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/332,092.
Application 18/332,092 is a continuation of application No. 17/932,122, filed on Sep. 14, 2022.
Int. Cl. A43B 1/04 (2022.01); A43B 23/02 (2006.01); D04B 1/10 (2006.01)
CPC A43B 1/04 (2013.01) [A43B 23/02 (2013.01); D04B 1/10 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An upper for article of footwear, comprising:
a knitted workpiece formed of a unified knit composition disposed in a midfoot region of the upper and at least a portion of a heel region of the upper, the knitted workpiece comprising:
a collar portion;
a throat portion extending from a forward end of the collar portion to a front end of the knitted workpiece;
a medial lobe extending from one side of the throat portion;
a lateral lobe extending from an opposite side of the throat portion from the medial lobe;
the medial lobe including a front side facing towards the front end of the knitted workpiece and a rear side opposite the front side;
the lateral lobe including a front side facing towards the front end of the knitted workpiece and a rear side opposite the front side;
a heel component formed as a separate workpiece from the knitted workpiece, the heel component disposed in the heel region of the upper, wherein the heel component is joined to the rear side of the medial lobe of the knitted workpiece at a seam along a first attachment area and to the rear side of the lateral lobe of the knitted workpiece at a seam along a second attachment area;
a first reinforcement element disposed over the seam along the first attachment area between the medial lobe and the heel component; and
a second reinforcement element disposed over the seam along the second attachment area between the lateral lobe and the heel component;
wherein the knitted workpiece includes an outer peripheral edge comprising:
a front side edge on the front side of the medial lobe;
a medial side edge of the medial lobe;
a rear side edge on the rear side of the medial lobe;
a medial side edge of the collar portion;
a lateral side edge of the collar portion;
a rear side edge on the rear side of the lateral lobe;
a lateral side edge of the lateral lobe; and
a front side edge on the front side of the lateral lobe;
wherein the outer peripheral edge changes direction at the front side edge on the front side of the medial lobe and the front side edge on the front side of the lateral lobe; and
wherein the outer peripheral edge changes direction at the rear side edge on the rear side of the medial lobe and the rear side edge on the rear side of the lateral lobe.