US 11,903,444 B2
Upper for an article of footwear
Neil Crumbleholme, Lake Oswego, OR (US)
Assigned to NIKE, Inc., Beaverton, OR (US)
Filed by NIKE, Inc., Beaverton, OR (US)
Filed on May 25, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/824,338.
Application 17/824,338 is a division of application No. 16/046,646, filed on Jul. 26, 2018, granted, now 11,357,288.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/539,295, filed on Jul. 31, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2022/0287412 A1, Sep. 15, 2022
Int. Cl. A43B 23/02 (2006.01); A43B 1/14 (2006.01); A43B 7/08 (2022.01); B32B 5/02 (2006.01); B32B 27/12 (2006.01); B32B 37/06 (2006.01); B32B 37/10 (2006.01); B32B 37/18 (2006.01); D04B 1/26 (2006.01); D04B 1/24 (2006.01); D04B 21/20 (2006.01)
CPC A43B 23/0235 (2013.01) [A43B 1/14 (2013.01); A43B 7/085 (2013.01); A43B 23/0205 (2013.01); A43B 23/025 (2013.01); A43B 23/026 (2013.01); A43B 23/0215 (2013.01); A43B 23/0245 (2013.01); A43B 23/0255 (2013.01); B32B 5/026 (2013.01); B32B 27/12 (2013.01); B32B 37/06 (2013.01); B32B 37/10 (2013.01); B32B 37/185 (2013.01); D04B 1/26 (2013.01); B32B 2250/03 (2013.01); B32B 2250/40 (2013.01); B32B 2305/186 (2013.01); B32B 2398/20 (2013.01); B32B 2437/02 (2013.01); D04B 1/24 (2013.01); D04B 21/207 (2013.01); D10B 2401/041 (2013.01); D10B 2501/043 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for manufacturing an upper for an article of footwear, the upper having a toe end, a heel end, a medial side, a lateral side, and a biteline extending around the toe end, the medial side, the heel end, and the lateral side, the method comprising:
receiving an upper, the upper comprising:
an inner layer extending to at least the toe end, the heel end, the medial side, and the lateral side of the upper;
a middle knit layer extending to an underfoot portion of the upper, wherein the middle knit layer is adjacent the inner layer at least at the medial side, the lateral side, the toe end, and the heel end of the upper, and wherein the middle knit layer extends, in the underfoot portion of the upper, between the lateral side and the medial side, and between the toe end and the heel end; and
an outer layer that is adjacent to at least a portion of the middle knit layer, wherein the outer layer compositionally comprises at least one thermoplastic material, wherein the outer layer extends from a first position below the biteline at the underfoot portion of the upper to a second position above the biteline, and wherein the second position above the biteline is at least one selected from a midfoot region of the upper and the toe end of the upper;
placing the upper on a form; and
exposing the upper to a thermal energy source while the upper is positioned on the form.