Lacing architecture for automated footwear platform

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10856618-B2
Application number	US-201816165023-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 19, 2018
Priority date	Oct 20, 2017
Publication date	Dec 8, 2020
Grant date	Dec 8, 2020

Abstract

Systems and apparatus related to an automated footwear platform including an actuator assembly for controlling a footwear lacing apparatus are discussed. In an example, an Lacing architectures for automated footwear assemblies are discussed. In an example, a footwear assembly can include a floating tongue within an upper assembly. The lacing architecture can include a first plurality or lace guides forming a first lacing zone and a second plurality of lace guides forming a second lacing zone. The lacing architecture can also include a tongue lace guide assembly secure to a proximal portion of the floating tongue.

First claim

The claimed invention includes:

1. A footwear assembly comprising:
a footwear upper assembly comprising an outer layer and a floating tongue, the footwear upper assembly including a toe box section, a medial side, a lateral side, a heel section, and a central throat section;
a lace cable with a first end anchored to the upper assembly in a first anchor location and a second end anchored to the upper assembly in a second anchor location;
a first plurality of lace guides forming a first lacing zone routing a first portion of the lace cable to tension a forefoot region of the footwear assembly;
a second plurality of lace guides forming a second lacing zone routing a second portion of the lace cable to tension a mid-foot region of the footwear assembly;
a tongue lace guide assembly secured to a proximal portion of the floating tongue, the tongue lace guide assembly adapted to receive lace cable from both the medial side and the lateral side;
a medial heel lace guide positioned to receive the lace cable from the tongue lace guide along the medial side of the upper assembly;
a lateral heel lace guide positioned to receive the lace cable from the tongue lace guide along the lateral side of the upper assembly;
a medial lace exit routing the lace cable from the medial heel lace guide into a position allowing the lace cable to engage a lacing engine disposed within a mid-sole portion of the footwear assembly; and
a lateral lace exit to route the lace cable from the lateral heel lace guide into a position to engage the lacing engine.

2. The footwear assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second plurality of lace guides distributes lace cable tension across a larger area of the footwear assembly than the first plurality of lace guides.

3. The footwear assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of lace guides includes a medial lace guide on the medial side of the central throat section and two lateral lace guides on the lateral side of the central throat section.

4. The footwear assembly of claim 3 , wherein the first lateral lace guide of the two lateral lace guides is located towards a distal end of the central throat section and the second lateral lace guide of the two lateral lace guides is located towards a proximal end of the central throat section.

5. The footwear assembly of claim 4 , wherein the lace cable path for the first lacing zone includes the following path segments:
the first anchor location to the medial lace guide;
the medial lace guide to the first lateral lace guide; and
the first lateral lace guide to the second lateral lace guide.

6. The footwear assembly of claim 5 , wherein the lace cable path for the first lacing zone continues from the first second lateral lace guide to a lateral facing lace guide in the tongue lace guide assembly.

7. The footwear assembly of claim 6 , wherein the lace cable path for the first lacing zone continues from the lateral facing lace guide to the lateral heel lace guide.

8. The footwear assembly of claim 1 , wherein the second plurality of lace guides includes a first lateral lace guide disposed along a central portion of a lateral side of the central throat section and a plurality of medial lace guides distributed along a length of a medial side of the central throat section.

9. The footwear assembly of claim 8 , wherein the lace cable path for the second lacing zone includes the following path segments:
the second anchor location to a first medial lace guide of the plurality of medial lace guides;
the first medial lace guide to the first lateral lace guide;
the first lateral lace guide to a second medial lace guide of the plurality of medial lace guides.

10. The footwear assembly of claim 9 , wherein the lace cable path for the second lacing zone further includes a path segment running from the second medial lace guide to a medial facing lace guide within the tongue lace guide assembly.

11. The footwear assembly of claim 10 , wherein the lace cable path for the second lacing zone continues from the lateral facing lace guide to the lateral heel lace guide.

12. The footwear assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first anchor location is on the lateral side distal of the central throat section, and the second anchor location is on the lateral side adjacent to a first lateral lace guide.

13. A lacing architecture for an automated footwear platform, the lacing architecture comprising:
a lace cable with a first end anchored to an upper assembly adjacent a distal lateral portion of a central throat and a second end anchored to the upper assembly adjacent a first lateral lace guide on a lateral portion of the central throat;
a first lacing zone including a first portion of the lace cable running from the first end over the central throat to a first medial lace guide back over the central throat to a first lateral lace guide proximal along a lateral side of the central throat to a third lateral lace guide proximal to a lateral facing lace guide within a tongue lace guide assembly laterally to a lateral heel lace guide and on to a lateral lace exit along a lateral edge of the footwear upper;
a second lacing zone including a second portion of the lace cable running from the second end over the central throat to a second medial lace guide back over the central throat to a second lateral lace guide back over the central throat to a third medial lace guide proximally to a medial facing lace guide within the tongue lace guide assembly medially to a medial heel lace guide and on to a medial lace exit along a medial edge of the footwear upper.

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Avar Eric P
• Ho Fanny Yung
• Johnson Daniel A
• Savage Peter R
• Schneider Summer L

Classifications

• A43C11/08

  Hook fastenings; Rotary hooks · CPC title

• A43C7/08

  Clamps drawn tight by laces · CPC title

• A43B23/0265

  having different properties in different directions · CPC title

• A43C11/165 Primary

  characterised by a spool, reel or pulley for winding up cables, laces or straps by rotation · CPC title

• A43C1/003 Primary

  Zone lacing, i.e. whereby different zones of the footwear have different lacing tightening degrees, using one or a plurality of laces (laces combined with another system A43C11/008; zone tightening using straps A43C11/14) · CPC title