Shoe body-forming piece and manufacturing method thereof

Abstract

A shoe body-forming piece includes an upper portion including an instep portion and a pair of heel portions separately disposed on one side of the instep portion to make the upper portion have a substantially U-shaped configuration outlined by a perimeter edge and an inner edge; and a shoe-sleeve portion having a connection side at least partially connected to the inner edge, wherein the upper portion and the shoe-sleeve portion are knitted from at least one yarn to form a unitary knit construction with a plurality of courses and wales, so that the shoe body-forming piece does not have any sewing portion as the knitting process is completed; when the shoe body-forming piece is processed to form a shoe body, the upper portion corresponds to a fore portion, a lateral portion, and a heel portion of a foot, and the shoe-sleeve portion corresponds to an ankle portion of the foot.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for forming a shoe body-forming piece, comprising:
 providing at least one yarn to knit a shoe-sleeve portion according to a predetermined number of stitches and retaining a plurality of to-be-weaved loops after the shoe-sleeve portion is formed;   providing at least two yarns to knit a pair of symmetric heel portions respectively outside two sides of the shoe-sleeve portion; when the knitting of the pair of heel portions arrives the plurality of to-be-weaved loops, the plurality of to-be-weaved loops is simultaneously knitted to connect the pair of heel portions and the shoe-sleeve portion; and   continuously knitting one of the at least two yarns of the pair of heel portions to form an instep portion, so the instep portion and the pair of heel portions are combined to form an upper portion; when the knitting of the instep portion arrives the plurality of to-be-weaved loops, the plurality of to-be-weaved loops is simultaneously knitted to connect the instep portion and the shoe-sleeve portion.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the number of the plurality of to-be-weaved loops is less than the predetermined number of stitches, so the shoe-sleeve portion is merely partially connected to the upper portion. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the number of the plurality of to-be-weaved loops is equal to the predetermined number of stitches, so one side of the shoe-sleeve portion is substantially completely connected to the upper portion along an inner edge defined by the instep portion and the pair of heel portions. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the shoe-sleeve portion is knitted by a tubular double knitting manner, so the shoe-sleeve portion has a first knit surface and a second knit surface, and the tubular double knitting manner includes:
 alternatively casting on the at least one yarn according to the predetermined number of stitches to form a first starting side of the first knit surface;   alternatively backwards casting on the at least one yarn according to the predetermined number of stitches to form a second starting side of the second knit surface;   knitting the at least one yarn to connect the first starting side to form the first knit surface, backwards knitting the at least one yarn to connect the second starting side to form the second knit surface, and repeatedly knitting the first knit surface and the second surface; and   after the shoe-sleeve portion is formed, retaining a portion of a plurality of stitches of one of the first knit surface and the second knit surface as the plurality of to-be-weaved loops.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the steps of forming the first starting side and the second starting side comprise:
 casting on the at least one yarn to form the first starting side in a manner of every two alternative stitches spaced by two empty needles;   before forming the second starting side, changing the first starting side from the manner of every two alternative stitches spaced by two empty needles to a manner of every two non-alternative stitches spaced by one empty needle;   backwards casting on the at least one yarn to form the second starting side in the manner of every two alternative stitches spaced by two empty needles;   changing the second starting side from the manner of every two alternative stitches spaced by two empty needles to the manner of every two non-alternative stitches spaced by one empty needle; and   changing the first starting side from the manner of every two non-alternative stitches spaced by one empty needle back to the manner of every two alternative stitches spaced by two empty needles.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the repeatedly knitting of the first knit surface and the second knit surface includes:
 before backwards knitting the second knit surface, changing the first knit surface from the manner of every two alternative stitches spaced by two empty needles to the manner of every two non-alternative stitches spaced by one empty needle;   changing the second starting side from the manner of every two non-alternative stitches spaced by one empty needle back to the manner of every two alternative stitches spaced by two empty needles, and backwards knitting the second knit surface;   before repeatedly knitting the first knit surface, changing the first knit surface from the manner of every two non-alternative stitches spaced by one empty needle back to the manner of every two alternative stitches spaced by two empty needles to form the first knit surface; and   before repeatedly knitting the second knit surface, changing the second knit surface from the manner of every two non-alternative stitches spaced by one empty needle back to the manner of every two alternative stitches spaced by two empty needles to form the second knit surface.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising extending an inlaid strand through two opposite ends of the shoe-sleeve portion when the at least one yarn is knitted to form the shoe-sleeve portion. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising pulling the inlaid strand tightly, so the two opposite ends of the shoe-sleeve portion is secured together by the inlaid strand, and the shoe-sleeve portion has a sleeve structure. 
     
     
         9 . A shoe body-forming piece formed by the method of  claim 1 , characterized in that:
 the pair of heel portions are separately disposed on one side of the instep portion to make the upper portion have a substantially U-shaped configuration outlined by a perimeter edge and an inner edge; and   the shoe-sleeve portion has a connection side at least partially connected to the inner edge, and a connection line is formed between the shoe-sleeve portion and the upper portion.   
     
     
         10 . The shoe forming piece of  claim 9 , wherein the connection line extends along only a portion of the inner edge. 
     
     
         11 . The shoe forming piece of  claim 9 , wherein the connection line extends substantially completely along the inner edge. 
     
     
         12 . The shoe forming piece of  claim 9 , wherein an inlaid strand extends through two opposite ends of the shoe-sleeve portion perpendicular to the connection side; when the inlaid strand is pulled tightly, the two opposite ends of the shoe-sleeve portion is secured together by the inlaid strand, so the shoe-sleeve portion has a sleeve structure. 
     
     
         13 . A shoe body-forming piece formed by the method of  claim 4 , characterized in that:
 the pair of heel portions are separately disposed on one side of the instep portion to make the upper portion have a substantially U-shaped configuration outlined by a perimeter edge and an inner edge; and   the shoe-sleeve portion has a seamless integral sleeve structure, and the shoe-sleeve portion is partially connected to the inner edge.   
     
     
         14 . A shoe body-forming piece, comprising:
 an upper portion comprising an instep portion and a pair of heel portions separately disposed on one side of the instep portion to make the upper portion have a substantially U-shaped configuration outlined by a perimeter edge and an inner edge; and   a shoe-sleeve portion having a connection side at least partially connected to the inner edge,   wherein the upper portion and the shoe-sleeve portion are knitted from at least one yarn to form a unitary knit construction with a plurality of courses and wales, so that the shoe body-forming piece does not have any sewing portion as the knitting process is completed; when the shoe body-forming piece is processed to form a shoe body, the upper portion corresponds to a fore portion, a lateral portion, and a heel portion of a foot, and the shoe-sleeve portion corresponds to an ankle portion of the foot.