Three-dimensional (3d) shoe blank made by double-bed flat knitting machine and manufacturing method thereof

Abstract

A 3D shoe blank is an integral knit fabric without any sewn portion made by a double-bed flat knitting machine and includes an upper portion having two technical surfaces and knitted from at least a first yarn by skip-needle double-knitting, a front sole portion connected to the upper portion by a cast-on line and two connection lines to form a pocket structure, a rear portion connected to the front sole portion, and a heel portion extending from a center rear end of the rear portion. A portion of the front sole portion corresponding to the upper portion is knitted from at least a second yarn by skip-needle single-knitting. Two opposite sides of the heel portion are respectively connected to left and right rear ends of the rear portion to form a 3D rear shoe portion with two joining lines formed between the heel portion and the rear portion.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for knitting a three-dimensional (3D) shoe blank by using a double-bed flat knitting machine, comprising:
 providing at least a first yarn on a front needle bed and a back needle bed of the double-bed flat knitting machine by skip-needle double-knitting and providing at least a second yarn on the back needle bed together to form a cast-on line;   knitting the first yarn on the front needle bed and the back needle bed continuing from the cast-on line by loop-transferring and skip-needle double-knitting to form an upper portion;   knitting the second yarn on the back needle bed continuing from the cast-on line by skip-needle single-knitting to form a front sole portion, wherein the upper portion and the front sole portion are alternatingly knitted, and the front sole portion is connected to the upper portion to form a pocket structure;   knitting continuing from the front sole portion on the front needle bed and the back needle bed to form a rear portion, wherein when forming the rear portion, a plurality of live stitches are preserved on the front needle bed at two sides of a rear end of the rear portion; and   knitting continuing from a center of the rear end of the rear portion on the front needle bed and the back needle bed by double-knitting to form a heel portion with a predetermined number of stitches, wherein when the knitting of the heel portion reaches the predetermined number of stitches at two opposite sides of the heel portion, the back needle bed moves transversely to sequentially and respectively knit the live stitches preserved on the front needle bed at the two sides of the rear end of the rear portion together with the two opposite sides of the heel portion, so the heel portion and the rear portion are combined to form a 3D rear shoe portion.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 knitting continuing from one side of a rear end of the upper portion by loop-transferring and skip-needle double-knitting to form a first upper extension portion;   knitting at least a third yarn continuing from the other side of the rear end of the upper portion by loop-transferring and skip-needle double-knitting to form a second upper extension portion, wherein the first upper extension portion and the second upper extension portion are spaced apart and substantially symmetric, so the first upper extension portion, the second upper extension portion, and the upper portion are combined to form an upper assembly; and   knitting the second yarn on the back needle bed to form a front sole extension portion between the front sole portion and the rear portion, wherein a portion of the front sole extension portion corresponding to the first upper extension portion and the second upper extension portion is knitted by skip-needle single-knitting, and another portion of the front sole extension portion not corresponding to the first upper extension portion and the second upper extension portion is knitted by single-knitting, so the front sole portion and the front sole extension portion are combined to form a front sole assembly.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the rear portion is knitted from the second yarn or another yarn, or the rear portion is knitted from the second yarn together with another yarn. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the rear portion is knitted from the second yarn or another yarn, or the rear portion is knitted from the second yarn together with another yarn. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the heel portion is knitted from the second yarn or another yarn, or the heel portion is knitted from the second yarn together with another yarn. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the heel portion is knitted from the second yarn or another yarn, or the heel portion is knitted from the second yarn together with another yarn. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the heel portion is knitted from the second yarn or another yarn, or the heel portion is knitted from the second yarn together with another yarn. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the heel portion is knitted from the second yarn or another yarn, or the heel portion is knitted from the second yarn together with another yarn. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 after the 3D rear shoe portion is formed, double-knitting on the front needle bed and the back needle bed to form an extension strap, wherein the extension strap is partially connected to the heel portion and extends outward toward the two opposite sides of the heel portion.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 double-knitting from the heel portion on the front needle bed and the back needle bed to form an extension portion connected between the heel portion and the extension strap, so the extension strap is partially connected to the heel portion by means of the extension portion.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 after the 3D rear shoe portion is formed, double-knitting on the front needle bed and the back needle bed to form an extension strap, wherein the extension strap is partially connected to the heel portion and extends outward toward the two opposite sides of the heel portion.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 double-knitting from the heel portion on the front needle bed and the back needle bed to form an extension portion connected between the heel portion and the extension strap, so the extension strap is partially connected to the heel portion by means of the extension portion.   
     
     
         13 . A 3D shoe blank made by using a double-bed flat knitting machine, the 3D shoe blank being
 an integral knit fabric without any sewn portion, the 3D shoe blank comprising:
 an upper portion having two technical surfaces knitted from at least a first yarn by skip-needle double-knitting; 
 a front sole portion connected to the upper portion by a cast-on line and two connection lines, so the front sole portion and the upper portion are connected to form a pocket structure, wherein a portion of the front sole portion corresponding to the upper portion is knitted from at least a second yarn by skip-needle single-knitting; 
 a rear portion connected to the front sole portion; and 
 a heel portion extending from a center rear end of the rear portion, two opposite sides of the heel portion respectively connected to a left rear end and a right rear end of the rear portion, so the heel portion and the rear portion are combined to form a 3D rear shoe portion, and two joining lines are formed between the heel portion and the rear portion on the two opposite sides of the heel portion, respectively. 
   
     
     
         14 . The 3D shoe blank of  claim 13 , wherein the two connection lines are connected to two ends of the cast-on line and extend outward and obliquely toward an outer side of the 3D shoe blank. 
     
     
         15 . The 3D shoe blank of  claim 13 , wherein the upper portion substantially matches the front sole portion in shape and size. 
     
     
         16 . The 3D shoe blank of  claim 14 , wherein the upper portion substantially matches the front sole portion in shape and size. 
     
     
         17 . The 3D shoe blank of  claim 13 , further comprising a first upper extension portion and a second upper extension portion connected to two sides of a rear end of the upper portion, respectively, wherein the 3D shoe blank further comprises a front sole extension portion connected between the front sole portion and the rear portion; the front sole extension portion partially corresponds to the first upper extension portion and the second upper extension portion. 
     
     
         18 . The 3D shoe blank of  claim 17 , wherein the front sole extension portion comprises covered portions masked by the first upper extension portion and the second upper extension portion and an uncovered portion exposed between the first upper extension portion and the second upper extension portion; the covered portions are knitted from the second yarn by skip-needle single-knitting and the uncovered portion is knitted from the second yarn by single-knitting. 
     
     
         19 . The 3D shoe blank of  claim 14 , further comprising a first upper extension portion and a second upper extension portion connected to two sides of a rear end of the upper portion, respectively, wherein the 3D shoe blank further comprises a front sole extension portion connected between the front sole portion and the rear portion; the front sole extension portion partially corresponds to the first upper extension portion and the second upper extension portion. 
     
     
         20 . The 3D shoe blank of  claim 19 , wherein the front sole extension portion comprises covered portions masked by the first upper extension portion and the second upper extension portion and an uncovered portion exposed between the first upper extension portion and the second upper extension portion; the covered portions are knitted from the second yarn by skip-needle single-knitting and the uncovered portion is knitted from the second yarn by single-knitting. 
     
     
         21 . The 3D shoe blank of  claim 13 , further comprising an extension strap partially connected to the heel portion and extending outward toward the two opposite sides of the heel portion. 
     
     
         22 . The 3D shoe blank of  claim 21 , further comprising an extension portion connected between the heel portion and the extension strap, so the extension strap is partially connected to the heel portion by means of the extension portion. 
     
     
         23 . The 3D shoe blank of  claim 14 , further comprising an extension strap partially connected to the heel portion and extending outward toward the two opposite sides of the heel portion. 
     
     
         24 . The 3D shoe blank of  claim 23 , further comprising an extension portion connected between the heel portion and the extension strap, so the extension strap is partially connected to the heel portion by means of the extension portion.