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

Abstract

A 3D shoe blank is an integral knit fabric without any sewn portion made by a flat knitting machine and includes an upper portion knitted from at least a yarn, a front sole portion knitted from the upper portion with a folding line therebetween and two connection lines at two sides of the front sole portion and the upper portion, so the front sole portion is folded and connected to the upper portion to form a pocket structure, a rear portion knitted from 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 to form a 3D rear shoe portion with two joining lines between the heel portion and the rear portion on the two opposite sides.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A three-dimensional (3D) shoe blank made by using a flat knitting machine, the 3D shoe blank being an integral knit fabric without any sewn portion, the 3D shoe blank comprising:
 an upper portion knitted from at least a yarn, wherein the upper portion is gradually narrowed at two sides;   a front sole portion formed by continuing knitting from the upper portion, wherein the upper portion is folded to the front sole portion along a folding line between the front sole portion and the upper portion and connected to the front sole portion by two connection lines formed at two sides of the front sole portion and the two sides of the upper portion to form a flat pocket structure flatly extending parallel to an extension plane of the upper portion and the front sole portion, and the folding line and the two connection lines outline an outer perimeter of the flat pocket structure;   a rear portion formed by continuing knitting from the front sole portion, wherein the two connection lines continuously extend outward and obliquely from two ends of the folding lines to a left outer side and a right outer side of the rear portion, respectively; and   a heel portion with a predetermined number of stitches extending from a center rear end of the rear portion, wherein 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 is in a rectangle shape and combined with the rear portion to form a 3D rear shoe portion with two joining lines formed between the heel portion and the rear portion at the two opposite sides of the heel portion, respectively.   
     
     
         2 . The 3D shoe blank of  claim 1 , wherein the upper portion substantially matches the front sole portion in shape and size. 
     
     
         3 . The 3D shoe blank of  claim 1 , further comprising a first upper extension portion and a second upper extension portion connected apart respectively to two sides of a rear end of the upper portion, so the first upper extension portion, the second upper extension portion, and the upper portion are combined to form an upper assembly, wherein the front sole portion is formed by continuing knitting from the upper portion and partially corresponds to the upper assembly. 
     
     
         4 . The 3D shoe blank of  claim 1 , further comprising an extension strap partially connected to the heel portion and extending outward toward the two opposite sides of the heel portion. 
     
     
         5 . The 3D shoe blank of  claim 4 , 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. 
     
     
         6 . The 3D shoe blank of  claim 3 , further comprising an extension strap partially connected to the heel portion and extending outward toward the two opposite sides of the heel portion. 
     
     
         7 . The 3D shoe blank of  claim 6 , 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.