Patent ID: 11903444
Assignee: NIKE, INC.
Field: Other consumer goods (Other fields)
Classification: CPC A  B  D | IPC A  B  D

Claim 0:
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.