Footwear upper with lace-engaged zipper system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11154113-B2
Application number	US-201916686480-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 18, 2019
Priority date	May 23, 2017
Publication date	Oct 26, 2021
Grant date	Oct 26, 2021

Abstract

A footwear upper comprises a front section and a rear section. The front section is at least partially forward of the rear section and at least partially defines a foot-receiving cavity. The front section has a medial edge and a lateral edge partially defining a foot entry opening. A zipper system includes a medial slider movable along the medial edge of the front section to zip the rear section to the medial edge, a medial zipper pull engaged with the medial slider, a lateral slider movable along the lateral edge of the front section to zip the rear section to the lateral edge, and a lateral zipper pull engaged with the lateral slider. A tightening system includes a lace-receiving feature on the front section forward of the zipper system, and a lace extending through the lace-receiving feature, through the medial zipper pull, and through the lateral zipper pull.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A footwear upper comprising:
a front section at least partially defining a foot-receiving cavity and a foot entry opening in communication with the foot-receiving cavity; wherein the front section has a rear portion that extends around a rear of a heel region of the footwear upper from a medial side of the footwear upper to a lateral side of the footwear upper;
a rear section having a central portion fixed to the rear portion of the front section, the rear section articulatable relative to the front section at the central portion between an access position and a use position;
a medial zipper disposed along a medial edge of the front section at the foot entry opening; and
a lateral zipper disposed along a lateral edge of the front section at the foot entry opening with the central portion of the rear section between the medial zipper and the lateral zipper.

2. The footwear upper of claim 1 , wherein the rear section is disposed rearward of the foot entry opening in the access position when the medial zipper and the lateral zipper are unzipped, and articulates at the central portion to be disposed around the foot entry opening in the use position when the medial zipper and the lateral zipper are zipped.

3. The footwear upper of claim 1 , wherein the medial zipper includes a medial slider movable along the medial edge of the front section to selectively zip the rear section to the medial edge of the front section.

4. The footwear upper of claim 3 , wherein the medial zipper includes a medial zipper pull engaged with the medial slider.

5. The footwear upper of claim 1 , wherein the lateral zipper includes a lateral slider movable along the lateral edge of the front section to selectively zip the rear section to the lateral edge of the front section.

6. The footwear upper of claim 5 , wherein the lateral zipper includes a lateral zipper pull engaged with the lateral slider.

7. The footwear upper of claim 1 , wherein:
the medial zipper includes a medial slider movable along the medial edge of the front section to selectively zip the rear section to the medial edge of the front section;
the medial zipper includes a medial zipper pull engaged with the medial slider;
the lateral zipper includes a lateral slider movable along the lateral edge of the front section to selectively zip the rear section to the lateral edge of the front section; and
the lateral zipper includes a lateral zipper pull engaged with the lateral slider.

8. The footwear upper of claim 7 , wherein the medial zipper pull and the lateral zipper pull are disposed such that a medially-outward force on the medial zipper pull and a simultaneous laterally-outward force on the lateral zipper pull move the medial slider and the lateral slider forward along the medial edge and the lateral edge, respectively, moving the rear section from the access position to the use position, the rear section further defining the foot-receiving cavity in the use position.

9. The footwear upper of claim 1 , wherein the medial edge and the lateral edge of the front section slope upwardly from the heel region of the footwear upper to a midfoot region of the footwear upper.

10. The footwear upper of claim 1 , wherein the rear section has a collar portion that defines an ankle opening of the foot-receiving cavity when the rear section is in the use position.

11. The footwear upper of claim 1 , wherein:
the central portion of the rear section is secured to the front section at the heel region between the medial edge and the lateral edge of the front section.

12. The footwear upper of claim 1 , wherein when the rear section is zipped to the front section, an outward force applied to a forward medial end of the rear section moves the medial zipper rearward along the medial edge, and an outward force applied to a forward lateral end of the rear section moves the lateral zipper rearward along the lateral edge.

13. A footwear upper comprising:
a front section at least partially defining a foot-receiving cavity and a foot entry opening in communication with the foot-receiving cavity;
a rear section having a central portion fixed to the front section, the rear section articulatable relative to the front section at the central portion between an access position and a use position;
a medial zipper disposed along a medial edge of the front section at the foot entry opening;
a lateral zipper disposed along a lateral edge of the front section at the foot entry opening with the central portion of the rear section between the medial zipper and the lateral zipper; and
a biasing member secured to the rear section and tensioned when the rear section is in the use position, thereby applying a biasing force urging the rear section to the access position.

14. The footwear upper of claim 13 , wherein:
a rear portion of the front section defines a through-hole; and
the biasing member extends through the through-hole and is secured to at least one of the front section or a sole structure secured to the front section.

15. The footwear upper of claim 14 , wherein the biasing member lays against an exterior surface of the rear section when the rear section is in the use position.

16. An article of footwear comprising:
a sole structure;
a footwear upper having a mule section secured to the sole structure and having an ankle support section hinged to a heel region of the mule section; wherein the mule section has a medial edge that slopes upwardly from the heel region in a forward direction of the sole structure, and a lateral edge that slopes upwardly from the heel region in the forward direction of the sole structure; and
a zipper system including:
lower teeth extending along the medial edge and the lateral edge of the mule section;
upper teeth extending along a proximal edge of the ankle support section;
a medial slider engaged with the lower teeth and the upper teeth on a medial side of the footwear upper; and
a lateral slider engaged with the lower teeth and the upper teeth on a lateral side of the footwear upper;

wherein the ankle support section pivots relative to a heel region of the sole structure between an access position in which the ankle support section is rearward of the heel region of the sole structure and is unzipped from the mule section, and a use position in which the ankle support section is zipped to the mule section.

17. The article of footwear of claim 16 , wherein outward forces applied to the medial slider and the lateral slider move the medial slider and the lateral slider forward along the lower teeth, zipping the ankle support section to the mule section.

18. The article of footwear of claim 17 , wherein:
the ankle support section pivots at the heel region between an access position in which the ankle support section is rearward of the heel region and is unzipped from the mule section, and a use position in which the ankle support section is zipped to the mule section.

19. The article of footwear of claim 17 , wherein an outward force applied to a forward medial end of the ankle support section and remote from the medial slider moves the medial slider rearward along the medial edge, and an outward force applied to a forward lateral end of the ankle support section and remote from the lateral slider moves the lateral slider rearward along the lateral edge.

20. An article of footwear comprising:
a sole structure;
a footwear upper having a mule section secured to the sole structure and having an ankle support section hinged to a h

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Hatfield Tinker L
• Beers Tiffany A
• Dimoff John T
• Kilmer Jared M
• Davis Ami M

Classifications

• A43C11/12

  Slide or glide fastenings · CPC title

• A43C11/008

  Combined fastenings, e.g. to accelerate undoing or fastening · CPC title

• A43C3/00

  Hooks for laces (making from sheet metal B21D53/46); Guards for hooks · CPC title

• A43C1/00

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

• A43B23/0245

  characterised by the constructive form · CPC title