Lace engaging structures and other features for articles of footwear and other foot-receiving devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10219580-B2
Application number	US-201514608547-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 29, 2015
Priority date	Jan 29, 2015
Publication date	Mar 5, 2019
Grant date	Mar 5, 2019

Abstract

Uppers for articles of footwear (or foot-covering members for other foot-receiving devices) include: (a) an upper member including medial and lateral side portions, each side portion including at least one pair of slots spaced in a top-to-bottom direction and (b) a first strap portion that extends between and through each of the medial slots and the lateral slots such that the first strap portion is exposed between the pair of medial slots and between the pair of lateral slots and such that the first strap portion extends across the instep opening. One, two, or more other “strap portions” may be provided, e.g., that extend between additional pairs of medial and lateral slots and across the instep opening. A shoe lace may be provided to extend through and between areas defined by the strap portions and the pairs of medial and lateral slots.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An upper for an article of footwear, comprising:
an upper member made from one or more parts and including a medial side portion that extends at least along a medial side of an instep opening of the upper member and a lateral side portion that extends at least along a lateral side of the instep opening,
wherein the medial side portion includes: a first pair of medial slots spaced apart from one another in a direction extending away from the medial side of the instep opening and a second pair of medial slots spaced apart from one another in the direction extending away from the medial side of the instep opening; and
wherein the lateral side portion includes: a first pair of lateral slots spaced apart from one another in a direction extending away from the lateral side of the instep opening and a second pair of lateral slots spaced apart from one another in the direction extending away from the lateral side of the instep opening;
a first strap portion that extends continuously: (a) from a location on a medial side of the upper member where the upper member is configured to engage a sole structure, (b) between and through each of the first pair of medial slots, (c) across the instep opening, (d) between and through each of the first pair of lateral slots, and (e) to a location on a lateral side of the upper member where the upper member is configured to engage the sole structure, wherein the first strap portion is exposed at least between the first pair of medial slots and between the first pair of lateral slots; and
a second strap portion that extends between and through each of the second pair of medial slots and the second pair of lateral slots, wherein the second strap portion is exposed at least between the second pair of medial slots and between the second pair of lateral slots, and wherein the second strap portion extends across the instep opening.

2. The upper for an article of footwear according to claim 1 , wherein the medial side portion further includes a third pair of medial slots spaced apart from one another in the direction extending away from the medial side of the instep opening, wherein the lateral side portion further includes a third pair of lateral slots spaced apart from one another in the direction extending away from the lateral side of the instep opening, and wherein the upper further comprises:
a third strap portion that extends between and through each of the third pair of medial slots and the third pair of lateral slots, wherein the third strap portion is exposed at least between the third pair of medial slots and between the third pair of lateral slots, and wherein the third strap portion extends across the instep opening.

3. The upper for an article of footwear according to claim 2 , wherein the medial side portion further includes a fourth pair of medial slots spaced apart from one another in the direction extending away from the medial side of the instep opening, wherein the lateral side portion further includes a fourth pair of lateral slots spaced apart from one another in the direction extending away from the lateral side of the instep opening, and wherein the upper further comprises:
a fourth strap portion that extends between and through each of the fourth pair of medial slots and the fourth pair of lateral slots, wherein the fourth strap portion is exposed at least between the fourth pair of medial slots and between the fourth pair of lateral slots, and wherein the fourth strap portion extends across the instep opening.

4. The upper for an article of footwear according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a shoe lace extending through: (a) a first area defined by the first strap portion, the first pair of medial slots, and the medial side portion, (b) a second area defined by the first strap portion, the first pair of lateral slots, and the lateral side portion, (c) a third area defined by the second strap portion, the second pair of medial slots, and the medial side portion, and (d) a fourth area defined by the second strap portion, the second pair of lateral slots, and the lateral side portion.

5. An article of footwear, comprising:
a sole structure; and
an upper engaged with the sole structure, the upper including:
(a) an upper member made from one or more parts and including a medial side portion that extends at least along a medial side of an instep opening of the upper member and a lateral side portion that extends at least along a lateral side of the instep opening,
wherein the medial side portion includes: a first pair of medial slots spaced apart from one another in a direction extending away from the medial side of the instep opening and a second pair of medial slots spaced apart from one another in the direction extending away from the medial side of the instep opening, and
wherein the lateral side portion includes: a first pair of lateral slots spaced apart from one another in a direction extending away from the lateral side of the instep opening and a second pair of lateral slots spaced apart from one another in the direction extending away from the lateral side of the instep opening;

(b) a first strap portion that extends continuously: (i) from a first medial side location on a medial side of the article of footwear where the upper engages the sole structure, (ii) between and through each of the first pair of medial slots, (iii) across the instep opening, (iv) between and through each of the first pair of lateral slots, and (v) to a first lateral side location on a lateral side of the article of footwear where the upper engages the sole structure, wherein the first strap portion is exposed at least between the first pair of medial slots and between the first pair of lateral slots, and
(c) a second strap portion that extends between and through each of the second pair of medial slots and the second pair of lateral slots, wherein the second strap portion is exposed at least between the second pair of medial slots and between the second pair of lateral slots, and wherein the second strap portion extends across the instep opening.

6. The article of footwear according to claim 5 , wherein the first strap portion is fixed at the first medial side location between the sole structure and a first portion of the upper, and wherein the first strap portion is fixed at the first lateral side location between the sole structure and a second portion of the upper.

7. The article of footwear according to claim 6 , wherein the first portion and the second portion of the upper constitute portions of a single component part of the upper.

8. The article of footwear according to claim 5 , wherein the second strap portion extends continuously from a second medial side location on the medial side of the article of footwear where the upper engages the sole structure, across the instep opening, and to a second lateral side location on the lateral side of the article of footwear where the upper engages the sole structure.

9. The article of footwear according to claim 5 , wherein the first strap portion is fixed at the first medial side location between the sole structure and a first portion of the upper, wherein the first strap portion is fixed at the first lateral side location between the sole structure and a second portion of the upper, wherein the second strap portion is fixed at a second medial side location between the sole structure and a third portion of the upper, and wherein the fourth strap portion is fixed at a second lateral side location between the sole structure and a fourth portion of the upper.

10. An upper for an article of footwear, comprising:
an upper member made from one or more parts and including:
(a) a medial side portion that extends at least al

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Taylor Justin R

Classifications

• A43C11/22

  Fastening devices with elastic tightening parts between pairs of eyelets, e.g. clamps, springs, bands · CPC title

• A43C1/00

  Shoe lacing fastenings (garment fastening devices A41F) · CPC title

• A43B13/223

  Profiled soles · CPC title

• A43B3/0078 Primary

  provided with logos, letters, signatures or the like decoration (A43B23/24 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A43C11/14

  Clamp fastenings {, e.g. strap fastenings}; Clamp-buckle fastenings; Fastenings with toggle levers · CPC title