Tensile-strand enclosure system for footwear

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10136701-B2
Application number	US-201615297910-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 19, 2016
Priority date	Oct 19, 2015
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

An arrangement of tensile strands is incorporated into a footwear article to provide at least part of an enclosure. The tensile strands may be adjustable to affect a size of the enclosure and an amount of compression of the enclosure.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An enclosure system for a footwear article, which includes a lateral side, a medial side, an inferior side, and a superior side, the enclosure system comprising:
a first strand element and a second strand element;
a first strand anchor point on the lateral side of the footwear article, the first strand anchor point threadably receiving the first strand element;
a second strand anchor point on the medial side of the footwear article, article, wherein the second strand element extends from the lateral side of the footwear article, across the superior side of the footwear article, and interloops with the second strand anchor point on the medial side of the footwear article; and
a third strand anchor point coupled to the second strand element, which is interlooped with the second strand anchor point, and positioned on the medial side of the footwear article, wherein the first strand element threads between the first strand anchor point on the lateral side and the third strand anchor point on the medial side, and wherein an amount of tension applied to the second strand element is adjustable by changing an amount of tension applied to the first strand element.

2. The enclosure system of claim 1 , wherein the first strand anchor point includes a tethered anchor point comprising a lateral-side tension strand coupled to the lateral side of the footwear, and wherein the lateral-side tension strand includes a loop portion that interloops with the first strand element.

3. The enclosure system of claim 1 , wherein the first strand anchor point includes a shoelace eyelet constructed into an upper portion of the footwear article.

4. The enclosure system of claim 1 , wherein the second strand anchor point includes a tethered anchor point comprising a medial-side tension strand coupled to the medial side of the footwear, and wherein the medial-side tension strand includes a loop portion that interloops with the second strand element.

5. The enclosure system of claim 1 , wherein the second strand anchor point includes a shoelace eyelet constructed into an upper portion of the footwear article.

6. The enclosure system of claim 1 further comprising, an upper including a first aperture on the lateral side of the footwear article and a second aperture on the medial side of the footwear article, and wherein the second strand element extends through the first aperture and the second aperture when extending from the lateral side of the footwear article to the medial side of the footwear by traversing the superior side of the footwear.

7. The enclosure system of claim 1 further comprising, a third strand element extending from the lateral side to the medial side and around a posterior side of a heel portion of the footwear article, wherein the third strand element includes another lateral-side strand anchor point and another medial-side anchor point, and wherein the first strand element is threaded through the other lateral-side anchor point and the other medial-side anchor point.

8. An enclosure system for a footwear article, which includes a lateral side, a medial side, an inferior side, and a superior side, the enclosure system comprising:
a sole;
a lace element;
a tensile strand coupled to the sole, which interloops with the lace element;
a set of tethered lace anchor points coupled to the sole, each tethered lace anchor point including an end that is attached to the sole, an elongated portion that extends away from the end and towards the superior side, wherein the lace element threads through a loop portion of a tethered anchor point; and
a set of tethered tensile-strand anchor points coupled to the sole, each tethered tensile-strand anchor point including an end that is attached to the sole, an elongated portion that extends away from the end and towards the superior side, and a loop portion interlooped with the tensile strand, wherein the tensile strand extends across the superior side of the footwear article and interloops with a tethered tensile-strand anchor point included in the set of tethered tensile-strand anchor points.

9. The enclosure system of claim 8 , wherein each tethered lace anchor point and the tensile strand are attached to the sole along the lateral side of the sole, and wherein each tethered tensile-strand anchor point is attached to the sole along the medial side of the sole.

10. The enclosure system of claim 8 , wherein each tethered lace anchor point and the tensile strand are attached to the sole along the medial side of the sole, and wherein each tethered tensile-strand anchor point is attached to the sole along the lateral side of the sole.

11. The enclosure system of claim 8 further comprising, another tensile-strand element extending from the lateral side to the medial side and around a posterior side of a heel portion of the footwear article, wherein the third strand element includes a lateral-side, lace-element anchor point and a medial-side, lace-element anchor point, and wherein the lace clement is threaded through the lateral-side, lace-element anchor point and the medial-side, lace-element anchor point.

12. The enclosure system of claim 8 further comprising, an upper coupled to the sole and at least partially enclosing a foot-receiving space, the upper including an inward-facing surface facing towards the foot-receiving space and an outward-facing surface facing away from the foot-receiving space, the upper comprising a thickness between the inward-facing surface and the outward-facing surface.

13. The enclosure system of claim 12 , wherein the set of tethered lace anchor points, the set of tethered tensile-strand anchor points, and the tensile strand are external to the outward-facing surface and outside of the foot-receiving space.

14. The enclosure system of claim 13 , wherein the upper includes a set of apertures extending through the thickness, and wherein the tensile strand is threaded through the set of apertures to extend along both the inward-facing surface and the outward-facing surface as the tensile strand extends across the superior side.

15. An enclosure system for a footwear article, which includes a lateral side, a medial side, an inferior side, and a superior side, the enclosure system comprising:
a sole portion;
an upper portion coupled to the sole portion, the sole portion and the upper portion at least partially enclosing a foot-receiving space, the upper portion including an inward-facing surface facing towards the foot-receiving space and an outward-facing surface facing away from the foot-receiving space;
a first strand element and a second strand element;
a first strand anchor point positioned on a first side of the footwear article and threadably receiving the first strand element;
a second strand anchor point positioned on a second side of the footwear article generally opposite to the first side, wherein the second strand element extends from the first side of the footwear article, across the superior side of the footwear article, threads between a position external to the outward-facing surface and a position internal to the inward-facing surface, and interloops with the second strand anchor point on the second side of the footwear article; and
a third strand anchor point coupled to the second strand element, which is interlooped with the second strand anchor point, and positioned on the second side of the footwear article, wherein the first strand element threads between the first strand anchor point on the first side and the third strand anchor point on the second side, and wherein an amount of tension applied to the second strand element

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Klein Ross
• Schultze Nathan G

Classifications

• A43B23/026

  Laminated layers · CPC title

• A43B23/021

  Leather · CPC title

• A43B5/06

  Running shoes; Track shoes · CPC title

• A43C1/06 Primary

  tightened by draw-strings · CPC title

• A43B3/126

  characterised by the shape or layout of the straps · CPC title