TW202130291A - A woven upper - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a woven upper formed of warp yarns and weft yarns comprising a first area that is elastic in at least one of the warp or weft direction. The warp yarns and/or the weft yarns comprise at least 5% elastic yarns. The woven upper being characterised in that the elastic yarns are woven in tension. The upper may also comprise a second area having a different elasticity to the first area, wherein the the warp yarns and/or weft yarns of the second area comprise at least 5% fewer elastic yarns than the equivalent yarns of the first area. Advantageously the woven upper is woven using a jacquard machine. The present invention also provides a method of weaving the woven upper.

Description

Woven upper

The present invention relates to footwear, especially woven uppers used to form footwear.

A variety of materials are used to form shoe uppers, including but not limited to leather, suede, canvas, knitted materials and fabrics. In addition to providing different appearances, different materials can provide different physical properties, such as elasticity, stiffness, abrasion resistance and water resistance. The material that forms the upper of a particular shoe is usually selected to provide the shoe with suitable appearance and material characteristics.

Some shoes, especially shoes intended for specific sports or sports activities, require different upper areas to have different physical properties. In particular, it is often desirable to have regions of different stiffness and/or elasticity. Historically, this has been achieved by forming the upper in different material areas and/or providing stiffeners in the upper. Recently, attempts have been made to form shoe uppers with areas of different physical properties from a single material by treating the material of the shoe upper in different ways in different areas.

EP2594146 discloses a sports shoe with an upper formed of a single material, wherein a part of the upper includes a first layer and a second functional layer printed on the first layer, and this second functional layer covers only a part of the upper. The tensile strength of the part printed with a section of the second functional layer is at least doubled compared with the unprinted area of the shoe upper, and the second layer modifies the elasticity in an anisotropic manner. That is, EP2594146 discloses an upper in which the physical properties of the upper are changed by printing a second material on the material of the upper. The material from which the upper of EP2594146 can be formed includes woven materials.

Although it is advantageous to provide a shoe upper made of a single material in the manner of EP2594146, the method of EP2494146 is disadvantageous in that it requires further processing and printing of the second functional layer to form areas with different physical properties. Therefore, there is still a need for shoe uppers with elastic properties formed in a single manufacturing process. Advantageously, any such upper may have more than two areas with different physical properties.

The present invention provides a knitted shoe upper formed by warp yarns and weft yarns, and includes: The first area; where The first area includes elastic yarn and non-elastic yarn; The warp yarns and/or weft yarns of this first region contain at least 5% of elastic yarns; Its characteristics are: These elastic yarns are woven under tension.

The shoe upper of the present invention is advantageous, wherein the present invention provides a simple structure for the shoe upper, which allows the elasticity of the shoe upper to be controlled in the warp direction and/or the weft direction. In particular, the elasticity of the first area of the upper can be controlled by controlling the ratio of elastic and non-elastic yarns in the warp and weft directions. Increasing the proportion of elastic yarns in the warp and/or weft direction will increase the elasticity of the upper in this direction. Shoe upper yarns that are not elastic yarns will be essentially non-elastic yarns. In the context of the present invention, an elastic yarn is an elastic yarn that can be elastically deformed to at least 150% of its resting length. An example of a suitable elastic yarn for use in the present invention is an elastic fiber continuous monofilament yarn.

The shoe upper of the present invention is formed by a woven material including warp yarns and weft yarns. The weaving of materials can be achieved in any appropriate way. In an embodiment of the present invention, a jacquard loom or any other similar machine may be used to perform the knitting. It is advantageous to use a jacquard loom for knitting, where the jacquard loom can allow the first area (and any other area present in the shoe upper) to be formed without difficulty by following an appropriate knitting pattern.

In order to provide suitable elasticity and integrity to the knitted shoe upper, the elastic yarn of the shoe upper is knitted under tension. That is, during knitting, the elastic yarn system stretches elastically, so that there is elastic tension in the elastic yarn. The elastic yarn is knitted into a shoe upper under elastic tension. For example, in an embodiment of the present invention, during knitting, the elastic yarn can extend by at least 5% of the resting length. In an embodiment of the present invention, during knitting, the elastic yarn can extend by at least 20%, at least 50%, or at least 100% of the resting length. The remaining length of the elastic yarn is the length of the yarn without tension in the yarn.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the warp yarn or the weft yarn of the first region may include 5% more elastic yarn than the other of the warp yarn and the weft yarn of the first region. This is advantageous because it allows the first area of the upper to have anisotropic elasticity, that is, to be more elastic in one of the warp or weft directions.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the warp yarns of the first zone comprise at least 20% or at least 50% elastic yarns. Increasing the ratio of elastic yarns in the warp yarns will increase the elasticity of the upper in the warp yarn direction.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the weft yarns of the first zone comprise at least 20% or at least 50% elastic yarns. Increasing the ratio of elastic yarn in the weft yarn will increase the elasticity of the upper in the weft yarn direction.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the upper may further include a second area; wherein The first area has greater elasticity than the second area in the warp and/or weft direction; and wherein The warp and/or weft of the first zone contain at least 5% elastic yarn; and The warp yarn or weft yarn of the second zone contains at least 5% less elastic yarn than the equivalent yarn of the first zone; it is characterized by: The elastic yarn is under tension.

In these embodiments of the present invention, the first area and the second area of the shoe upper have different elasticities. This is achieved by providing a different yarn composition in each area. In particular, the warp yarns and/or weft yarns of the first region include at least 5% elastic yarns, and the equivalent yarns of the second region include at least 5% less elastic yarns.

For example, in an embodiment of the present invention, the warp yarns of the first zone will contain at least 5% elastic yarns, and the warp yarns of the second zone will have at least 5% less elastic yarns, so that the warp direction of the first zone is lower than that of the first zone. The warp direction of the two regions is more flexible. As another example, in the embodiment of the present invention, the weft yarns in the first region will contain at least 5% elastic yarns, and the weft yarns in the second region will have at least 5% less elastic yarns, so that the weft direction of the first region It is more flexible than the weft direction of the second area. As another example, in the embodiment of the present invention, the warp and weft yarns of the first zone will contain at least 5% elastic yarns, and the warp direction of the second zone will have at least 5% less elasticity than the warp direction of the first zone The weft direction of the second region will have at least 5% less elastic yarns than the weft direction of the second region, making the warp and weft directions of the first region more elastic than the warp and weft directions of the second region. That is, the first area may have greater elasticity than the second area only in the warp direction, only in the weft direction, or in both the warp and weft directions. This greater elasticity is achieved by a first region containing at least 5% of elastic yarns in the relevant direction, and at least 5% more elastic yarns in the second region than in the same direction.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the warp yarns and/or weft yarns of the second region include at least 10%, at least 15%, or at least 20% less elastic yarns than the equivalent yarns of the first region. Increasing the difference in the number of elastic yarns in the warp and/or weft yarns between the first zone and the second zone will increase the difference in elasticity between the zones.

In order to achieve good elasticity in the first area in the relevant direction, it may be advantageous for the warp yarns of the first area and/or the weft yarns of the first area to contain at least 50% elastic yarns. This will provide excellent elasticity in the warp and/or weft direction of the first zone.

In an embodiment of the invention having a first area and a second area, the first area may have significantly greater flexibility in the warp and/or weft direction than the second area. For example, in the embodiment of the present invention, the warp direction of the first zone may have at least 20%, 30%, 40% or 50% more elastic yarn than the warp direction of the second zone, and/or the weft direction of the first zone It can have at least 20%, 30%, 40% or 50% more elastic yarn than the weft direction of the second zone. In an embodiment of the present invention, the first area may be more elastic than the second area in both the warp direction and the weft direction. In an embodiment of the present invention, the first area may be more elastic than the second area in the warp or weft direction, and the second area may be more elastic than the first area in the other direction of the warp and weft. In an embodiment of the present invention, the first area may have the same elasticity as the second area in one of the warp and weft directions.

Generally, it should be understood that the elasticity of the warp and weft direction of the shoe upper can be controlled by varying the ratio of the elastic yarns in the warp and weft. A larger proportion of elastic yarn in the warp or weft direction will provide greater elasticity in this direction. Further control of elasticity can be achieved by using different knitting patterns in the first area and the second area. In this way, flexible control will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Regardless of the elasticity control, in the embodiment of the present invention having the first area and the second area, it may be better to use different knitting patterns in the first and second areas, so that the first area can be easily distinguished visually. The first and second areas.

In many embodiments of the present invention, the warp yarns and the weft yarns will comprise a mixture of elastic yarns and non-elastic yarns. In the embodiment of the present invention, the warp or weft direction of the first zone may be entirely composed of elastic yarns. In the embodiment of the present invention having the second area, one of the warp yarn or the weft direction of the second area may be entirely composed of elastic yarn. In the embodiment of the present invention having the second area, the warp and/or weft direction of the second area may be entirely composed of inelastic yarns. In the embodiment of the present invention, one of the warp yarn or the weft direction of the first zone may be completely composed of inelastic yarns. In an embodiment of the present invention having a first area and a second area, both the warp and weft directions of the first area and the second area may include a mixture of elastic yarns and non-elastic yarns.

In an embodiment of the present invention, the inelastic yarns in the first area and/or any second area, the first area and any second area may be formed of polyester, polyamide or polypropylene. In these embodiments, the non-elastic yarn may have between 8 and 12 interweaving points per 10 cm.

In order to provide a suitable and durable shoe upper with proper flexibility, in the embodiment of the present invention, the first area and/or any second area may contain at least 30 warp yarns and weft yarns per centimeter, preferably at least 60 warp yarns/ cm, and preferably at least 55 wefts/cm. Similarly, in the embodiment of the present invention, the first area and/or any second area may include at most 72 warp yarns per centimeter and at most 70 weft yarns per centimeter.

The non-elastic yarn of the present invention may comprise any suitable yarn. For example, non-elastic yarns currently used for knitting shoe uppers according to the prior art are suitable for use in the present invention. An example of a suitable yarn is polyester continuous tape yarn. Other suitable yarns include polyamide (basic or HT), polyester (basic or HT), polypropylene, PET and TPU yarns, polyaramide yarns (polymetaaramide and polypara Amide), HDPE (polyethylene high density) yarn, PTFE yarn, PU and PVC yarn, acrylic and carbon yarn, artificial fiber such as viscose fiber, acetate, modal fiber, Tencel and cellulose yarn Yarn, and natural yarns such as wool, silk, cotton, linen, yut, ramie and hemp yarn.

For synthetic yarns, the count of the relevant area of the knitted shoe upper may preferably be between 22dTex and 1100dTex. For artificial yarn, the count of the relevant area of the knitted shoe upper can be advantageously between 22dTex and 550dTex. For natural yarns, the count of the relevant area of the knitted shoe upper can be advantageously between 22dTex and 60dTex. For the elastic yarn formed by elastic fiber, rubber or silicone, the count of the relevant area of the knitted shoe upper can be between 22dTex and 33dTex.

The knitted shoe upper according to the present invention may include more than one first area and/or more than one second area. In addition, the knitted shoe upper according to the present invention may include additional areas, such as third, fourth or fifth areas. Each area has different elasticity achieved by controlling the ratio of elastic yarns in the warp and/or weft direction. nature. That is, the knitted shoe upper according to the present invention may have any reasonable number of different areas, each area having different elastic properties.

Holes are usually provided on the shoe surface to allow the shoelace to be installed on the shoe surface. In traditional shoe uppers, perforations are holes formed through the upper that can be reinforced, or loops sewn to the upper. In the embodiments of the present invention, the perforations can be provided in any conventional manner. In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the knitted shoe upper may further include a plurality of holes formed on the surface of the knitted shoe upper, and the holes are formed by warp yarns or weft yarns of the shoe upper. That is, the knitted shoe upper of the present invention can be knitted in such a way that the warp yarns or weft yarns form holes at appropriate positions on the shoe surface. In particular, at each eyelet, a plurality of warp yarns or weft yarns will form a loop on the surface of the shoe upper through which the shoelace can pass. This is advantageous because it eliminates the need to provide perforations in the post-processing of the upper. Alternatively, the knitted shoe upper according to the present invention may include a plurality of holes formed on the surface of the knitted shoe upper, and the holes are formed by a ribbon woven into the warp or weft thread of the shoe upper. This is advantageous because it provides a durable structure for the perforations without the need to provide perforations in the post-processing of the upper.

The present invention also provides a method of knitting shoe uppers according to the present invention, which includes the following steps: Provide the first warp yarn and the first weft yarn; Knitting a knitted shoe upper having a first area knitted by a first warp yarn and a first weft yarn; wherein The first warp yarn and/or the first weft yarn contains at least 5% of elastic yarn; The first warp yarn and the first weft yarn include elastic yarn and inelastic yarn; Its characteristics are: These elastic yarns are woven under tension.

In the embodiment, the method of the present invention further includes the following steps: Provide the second warp yarn and the second weft yarn; and The knitted shoe upper is knitted, which has a first area knitted by the first warp yarn and the first weft yarn and a second area knitted by the second warp yarn and the second weft yarn; wherein The first warp yarn and/or the first weft yarn include at least 5% elastic yarn, and the second warp yarn and/or the second weft yarn include at least 5% less elastic yarn than the equivalent first yarn; Its characteristics are: These elastic yarns are woven under tension.

Any suitable machine can be used to knit shoe uppers. Advantageously, a jacquard loom is used to weave the upper. This is advantageous because the jacquard loom allows different patterns to be woven in a single piece of material without difficulty. For example, a jacquard loom may allow the first area and any second area to be woven in different patterns. The patterns of the first area and any of the second areas can be any suitable patterns, including but not limited to simple weaving patterns such as canvas, twill, satin cloth and gauze fabric, as well as those of goblin fabric and floral satin. More complicated patterns.

Knitting with different patterns can further control the elasticity of different areas of the knitted shoe upper. For example, it can be used to further control the elasticity of the first area and any second area. In addition, the first area and any second area can be knitted in different patterns so that they can be easily distinguished visually.

After knitting, the knitted shoe upper according to the present invention can be completed in any suitable manner. For example, a knitted upper can be subjected to heat setting to fix the size of the upper.

Other features and aspects of the present invention will become apparent from the embodiments of the invention shown in the drawings and described below.

In Fig. 1, a simple embodiment of a knitted shoe upper 1 according to the present invention is shown. The woven shoe upper 1 is composed of a piece of woven material that has been woven on a jacquard loom. The knitted shoe upper is composed of a third area 2, a second area 3 and two first areas 4. The third area 2, the second area 3 and the first area 4 are knitted in different weaving patterns and have different elastic properties. In the third zone 2, both the warp and weft are composed of elastic yarns that provide elasticity in both the warp and weft directions. In the second area 3, the warp yarns and the weft yarns are composed of inelastic yarns, so that the second area is inelastic in the warp direction or the weft direction. In the first zone 4, the warp yarns are inelastic, and the weft yarns are elastic, so that the third zone is elastic only in the weft direction. In this way, a single woven upper has varying elastic properties.

The elastic yarn for woven shoe upper 1 is formed by continuous monofilament yarn of elastic fiber with a count of 44 dTex. The elastic yarn has an interweaving point between 11 and 14 every 10 cm. The non-elastic yarn of the knitted shoe upper is formed by polyester continuous flat yarn with a count of 167dTex/48 flat yarns. The non-elastic yarn has an interweaving point between 9 and 11 every 10 cm. During interweaving, the elastic yarn is stretched to 200% of its resting length. That is, during knitting, the elastic yarn system extends to twice its resting length and is under tension. After weaving, the tension on the elastic yarn is released. Finally, use an appropriate method to heat-set the knitted shoe upper 1.

Fig. 2 shows a second simple embodiment of a knitted shoe upper 1 according to the present invention. The knitted shoe upper 1 of FIG. 2 includes a third area 5, two second areas 6 and four first areas 7. As in the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the third area 5, the second area 6 and the first area 7 are knitted in different patterns to visually distinguish these areas. The third area 5, the second area 6 and the first area 7 have different elastic properties. This is achieved by using different weaving patterns and by providing elastic yarns of different composition in the warp and weft directions between the different third, second and first regions 5, 6, and 7. Each of the warp and weft directions of the first, second, and third regions includes inelastic yarns and variable amounts of elastic yarns. The increased part of the elastic yarn in the warp and weft directions provides greater elasticity in the relevant direction.

Regarding the first embodiment, the elastic yarn of the knitted shoe upper 1 of the second embodiment is formed of a continuous monofilament yarn of elastic fiber with a count of 44 dTex. The elastic yarn has an interweaving point between 11 and 14 every 10 cm. The non-elastic yarn of the knitted shoe upper is formed by polyester continuous flat yarn with a count of 167dTex/48 flat yarns. The non-elastic yarn has an interweaving point between 9 and 11 every 10 cm. During interweaving, the elastic yarn is stretched to 200% of its resting length. That is, during knitting, the elastic yarn system extends to twice its resting length and is under tension. After weaving, the tension on the elastic yarn is released. Finally, use an appropriate method to heat-set the knitted shoe upper 1.

Fig. 3 shows a third embodiment of a knitted shoe upper 1 according to the present invention. The knitted shoe upper 1 is formed of the same material in the same manner as the first and second embodiments of the present invention. The third embodiment includes a first region 8, a second region 9, a third region 10, and a fourth region 11, each of which has different elastic properties. The different elastic properties provided by different ratios of elastic yarns exist in the warp and weft directions between the first, second, third and fourth regions 8, 9, 10, 11. The third embodiment is provided to illustrate the complexity of the pattern of the knitted shoe upper 1 that can be obtained in the embodiment of the present invention. This complexity can be achieved due to the overall weaving nature of the upper 1. Different uppers 1 can be provided for any specific use depending on the requirement that the upper will form part of the shoe.

Figures 4 and 5 show a fourth embodiment of a knitted shoe upper 1 according to the present invention. For the first to third embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the knitted shoe upper includes a first area 12, a second area 13 and a third area 14. The first, second and third regions 12, 13, 14 have different elastic properties provided by different proportions of elastic yarns existing in the warp and weft directions. In addition, the knitted shoe upper includes a plurality of holes 15 formed on the surface of the shoe upper. The holes 15 are formed by the weft yarns of the shoe upper and are formed during the knitting of the shoe upper 1. In particular, the use of a jacquard loom to knit the upper 1 allows the holes 15 to be formed during the knitting of the upper 1 instead of adding holes in a separate process step after the knitting of the upper 1. The shoelace 16 is positioned through the eyelet 15 to show the function of the eyelet.

1: Woven upper 2: The third area 3: The second area 4: The first area 5: The third area 6: The second area 7: The first area 8: The first area 9: The second area 10: The third area 11: The fourth area 12: The first area 13: The second area 14: The third area 15: Eyelet 16: shoelaces

Figure 1 is a first embodiment of a knitted shoe upper according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a second embodiment of the knitted shoe upper according to the present invention; Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a third embodiment of a knitted shoe upper according to the present invention; Figure 4 is the first image of the fourth embodiment of the knitted shoe upper according to the present invention; and Figure 5 is a second image of the fourth embodiment of the knitted shoe upper according to the present invention.

1: Woven upper

2: The third area

3: The second area

4: The first area

Claims (25)

A woven shoe upper formed by warp yarns and weft yarns, and includes: First area The first area includes elastic yarn and non-elastic yarn; The warp yarns and/or weft yarns of the first region include at least 5% elastic yarns; Its characteristics are: The elastic yarns are woven under tension. Such as the knitted shoe upper of claim 1, wherein the warp yarns of the first region include at least 5% more elastic yarns than the weft yarns. Such as the knitted shoe upper of claim 1 or 2, wherein the warp yarn of the first region contains at least 20% elastic yarn. Such as the knitted shoe upper of claim 3, wherein the warp yarn of the first region contains at least 50% elastic yarn. Such as the knitted shoe upper of claim 1, wherein the weft yarns contain at least 5% more elastic yarns than the warp yarns. Such as the knitted shoe upper of claim 5, wherein the weft yarn of the first region contains at least 20% elastic yarn. Such as the knitted shoe upper of claim 6, wherein the weft yarn of the first region contains at least 50% elastic yarn. For example, the knitted shoe upper of any one of claims 1 to 7, further includes the second area; The first area has greater elasticity than the second area in the warp direction and/or the weft direction; wherein The warp yarns and/or weft yarns of the second region include at least 5% less elastic yarns than the equivalent yarns of the first region; Its characteristics are: The elastic yarns are woven under tension. Such as the knitted shoe upper of claim 8, wherein the warp yarns and/or weft yarns of the first region and/or the second region include a mixture of elastic yarns and inelastic yarns. Such as the knitted shoe upper of claim 8, wherein the warp yarns and/or weft yarns of the second region are exclusively composed of non-elastic yarns. Such as the knitted shoe upper of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the warp yarn or the weft yarn of the first region is exclusively composed of elastic yarn. For example, the knitted shoe upper of any one of claims 8 to 11 further includes a third region having elasticity different from the first region and the second region in the warp direction and/or the weft direction. Such as the knitted shoe upper of any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein during the knitting of the shoe upper, the elastic yarns extend from the resting length by at least 5%. Such as the knitted shoe upper of claim 12, wherein during the knitting of the shoe upper, the elastic yarns extend at least 20% from the resting length. Such as the knitted shoe upper of claim 13, wherein during the knitting of the shoe upper, the elastic yarns extend by at least 50% of the resting length. Such as the knitted shoe upper of claim 14, wherein during the knitting of the shoe upper, the elastic yarns extend at least 100% from the resting length. The woven shoe upper of any one of claims 1 to 16, wherein the non-elastic yarn of the shoe upper comprises polyester, polyamide (basic or HT), polyester (basic or HT), polypropylene, PET , TPU, polyaramide (polymetaaramide and polyparaaramide), HDPE, PTFE, PU, PVC, acrylic, carbon, viscose fiber, acetate, modal fiber, Tencel, cellulose One or more of yarn, wool, silk, cotton, linen, yuta, ramie or hemp yarn. The woven shoe upper according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein the elastic yarn of the shoe upper includes one or more of elastic fiber, polyurethane, rubber, or silicone yarn. Such as the knitted shoe upper of any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein the first area and any second area include 30 to 72 warp yarns/cm. For example, the knitted shoe upper of any one of claims 1 to 19 further includes a plurality of holes formed on the surface of the knitted shoe upper, and the holes are formed by warp yarns or weft yarns of the shoe upper. For example, the knitted shoe upper according to any one of claims 1 to 19 further comprises a plurality of holes formed on the surface of the knitted shoe upper, and the holes are formed by ribbons woven in the warp yarns or weft yarns of the shoe upper. A method for knitting shoe uppers as in any one of claims 1 to 21, comprising the following steps: Provide the first warp yarn and the first weft yarn; Knitting a knitted shoe upper having a first area knitted by the first warp yarn and the first weft yarn; Wherein the first warp yarn and/or the first weft yarn contains at least 5% elastic yarn; The first warp yarn and the first weft yarn include elastic yarn and inelastic yarn; Its characteristics are: The elastic yarns are woven under tension. For example, the method for knitting shoe uppers in claim 22 further includes the following steps: Provide the second warp yarn and the second weft yarn; and The knitted shoe upper is knitted, which has a first area knitted by the first warp yarn and the first weft yarn and a second area knitted by the second warp yarn and the second weft yarn; wherein The first warp yarn and/or the first weft yarn includes at least 5% elastic yarn, and the second warp yarn and/or the second weft yarn includes at least 5% less elastic yarn than the equivalent first yarn; Its characteristics are: The elastic yarns are woven under tension. Such as the method of claim 23, wherein the first area and the second area are knitted in different patterns so that they can be distinguished visually. The method according to any one of claims 22 to 24, wherein the shoe upper is woven using a jacquard loom.

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