US 11,896,076 B1
Footwear upper having a unitary knit structure and method of manufacturing
Michael A. Carriero, Portland, OR (US); Evan W. Jones, Portland, OR (US); and Sanchari Ashishkumar Mahapatra, Portland, OR (US)
Assigned to NIKE, Inc., Beaverton, OR (US)
Filed by NIKE, Inc., Beaverton, OR (US)
Filed on May 8, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/313,710.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/500,608, filed on May 7, 2023.
Int. Cl. A43B 1/04 (2022.01); A43B 23/02 (2006.01)
CPC A43B 1/04 (2013.01) [A43B 23/0215 (2013.01)] 28 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A footwear upper comprising:
a unitary knit structure having:
a knit outer face layer disposed at an outer side of the unitary knit structure when assembled in an article of footwear;
a knit inner face layer disposed at an inner side of the unitary knit structure and facing a foot-receiving cavity when the assembled in the article of footwear; and
a knit intermediate layer;
wherein the knit outer face layer, knit inner face layer, and knit intermediate layer are integrally knit with one another to define a forefoot region, a midfoot region, and a heel region of the footwear upper;
wherein the knit intermediate layer is disposed between the knit outer face layer and the knit inner face layer and is different at a plurality of first zones of the unitary knit structure than at a plurality of second zones of the unitary knit structure, the first zones alternating with the second zones in a longitudinal direction of the footwear upper;
wherein an average fore-aft width of the first zones in the heel region is greater than an average fore-aft width of the first zones in the forefoot region;
wherein an average fore-aft width of the second zones in the forefoot region is greater than an average fore-aft width of the second zones in the heel region;
wherein the knit outer face layer comprises a mesh pattern including first knitted-in holes of a first size; and
wherein the knit inner face layer comprises a mesh pattern including second knitted-in holes of a second size larger than the first size and overlapping with the first knitted-in holes.