Footwear with laceless fastening system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11304479-B2
Application number	US-201715839242-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 12, 2017
Priority date	Feb 28, 2017
Publication date	Apr 19, 2022
Grant date	Apr 19, 2022

Abstract

An article of footwear includes an upper that has a body extending over at least a portion of a first side and a second side of the upper. A laceless fastening system includes a strap having an anchored end fixed at the second side and a distal end selectively remote from the upper. A first fastener is fixed to an outer surface of the body on the first side. The first fastener is less elastic than the body. A segmented second fastener is fixed to the inner side of the strap. The segmented second fastener includes a proximal segment and a distal segment closer to the distal end of the strap than the proximal segment and spaced apart from the proximal segment along the strap by an exposed portion of the strap. The segmented second fastener is less elastic than the strap.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An article of footwear comprising:
an upper having a body with a first side and a second side;
a sole structure attached to a lower portion of the upper;
a laceless fastening system including:
a strap having an anchored end fixed adjacent to the second side of the body and having a distal end selectively remote from the upper; wherein the anchored end of the strap is fixed to sole structure; wherein the strap has an inner side and an outer side;
a first fastener fixed to an outer surface of the body on the first side; wherein the first fastener is less elastic than the body;
a segmented second fastener fixed to the inner side of the strap and configured to secure to the first fastener;

wherein the segmented second fastener includes a proximal segment and a distal segment each selectively remote from the upper and each covering a different portion of the inner side of the strap, with the distal segment closer to the distal end of the strap than the proximal segment and spaced apart from the proximal segment along the strap; wherein the proximal segment has a first end and a second end, and the distal segment has a first end and a second end; wherein an exposed portion of the inner side of the strap is between the second end of the proximal segment and the first end of the distal segment; wherein the first end of the proximal segment is at the anchored end and the proximal segment extends from the anchored end to the exposed portion; wherein the segmented second fastener is less elastic than the strap; and
wherein the strap crosses over the body from the second side to the first side, and the distal segment overlies and secures to the first fastener, with the inner side of the strap facing the outer surface of the body, and with the proximal segment against the body on the second side.

2. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein:
the body includes a first base material;
elastic stretchability of the body at the first fastener is inhibited by the first fastener;
elastic stretchability of the body on the second side is that of the first base material with the second fastener remote from the first fastener and is inhibited by the strap with the second fastener secured to the first fastener; and
elastic stretchability of the strap at the second fastener is inhibited by the second fastener such that elastic stretchability of the strap at the exposed portion of the strap is greater than elastic stretchability of the strap at the second fastener.

3. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the strap is elastically stretched at the exposed portion with the second fastener secured to the first fastener so that the strap is extended in tension.

4. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the proximal segment is secured to the first fastener with the distal segment secured to the first fastener.

5. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein:
the first fastener inhibits stretching of the body at the first fastener; and
the second fastener inhibits stretching of the strap at the second fastener.

6. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the second fastener secures to the first fastener with the distal end of the strap pressed toward the upper, and releases from the first fastener with the distal end of the strap pulled away from the upper.

7. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein one of the first fastener and the second fastener is a plurality of loops, and the other one of the first fastener and the second fastener is a plurality of hooks that engages with the plurality of loops with the second fastener pressed against the first fastener.

8. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein:
the first side is a lateral side of the upper and the second side is a medial side; and
the anchored end of the strap is at least partially forward of the first fastener such that the strap extends rearward from the medial side to the lateral side with the second fastener secured to the first fastener.

9. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the strap extends over one of a forefoot portion of the body, a midfoot portion of the body, or an ankle portion of the body with the second fastener secured to the first fastener.

10. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the laceless fastening system further comprises:
an additional strap having an anchored end fixed adjacent to the second side of the body and having a distal end selectively remote from the upper; wherein the additional strap has an inner side and an outer side;
an additional first fastener fixed to the outer surface of the body on the first side; wherein the additional first fastener is less elastic than the body;
an additional segmented second fastener less elastic than the additional strap and fixed to the inner side of the additional strap; wherein the additional segmented second fastener includes a proximal segment and a distal segment each covering a different portion of the inner side of the additional strap, with the distal segment of the additional segmented second fastener closer to the distal end of the additional strap than the proximal segment of the additional segmented second fastener and spaced apart from the proximal segment along the additional strap; wherein the proximal segment of the additional segmented second fastener has a first end and a second end, and the distal segment of the additional segmented second fastener has a first end and a second end; wherein an exposed portion of the inner side of the additional strap is between the second end of the proximal segment of the additional segmented second fastener and the first end of the distal segment of the additional segmented second fastener; and
wherein the additional strap crosses over the body from the second side to the first side and the distal segment of the additional segmented second fastener secures to the additional first fastener, with the inner side of the additional strap facing the outer surface of the body, and with the proximal segment of the additional segmented second fastener against the body on the second side.

11. The article of footwear of claim 10 , wherein the body has an ankle portion, and the laceless fastening system further comprises:
an additional fastener fixed to the ankle portion of the body at the first side of the body;
a third strap having an anchored end fixed to the ankle portion and having a distal end selectively remote from the upper; wherein the third strap has an inner side and an outer side; and
another additional fastener fixed to the inner side of the third strap and that secures to the additional fastener with the third strap wrapping around the ankle portion of the upper from the second side to the first side.

12. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein:
the sole structure includes:
an outsole; and
a midsole attached to the outsole between the upper and the outsole; and

the anchored end of the strap is disposed between the midsole and the outsole.

13. The article of footwear of claim 12 , wherein:
an end of the first fastener is secured to the sole structure and disposed between the midsole and the outsole.

14. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the strap is a knit material.

15. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the body is unrestrained by the strap with the segmented second fastener remote from the first fastener.

16. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the second end of the proximal segment and the first end of the distal segment are non-linear.

17. The article of footwear of c

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Houng Derek
• Petrie Jason G
• Zadnik Miaochang

Classifications

• A43C11/1493

  Strap fastenings having hook and loop-type fastening elements · CPC title

• A43C1/006

  Rear lacing, i.e. with a lace placed on the back of the foot in place of, or in addition to the traditional front lace · CPC title

• A43C11/006 Primary

  Elastic fastenings · CPC title

• A43C1/00

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

• A43C1/02

  with elastic laces · CPC title