Footwear article with collar elevator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11758972-B2
Application number	US-202016839744-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 3, 2020
Priority date	Dec 21, 2018
Publication date	Sep 19, 2023
Grant date	Sep 19, 2023

Abstract

A footwear article includes a collar elevator to raise an ankle collar from a lowered position to a raised position. For example, the ankle collar may be lowered when a wearer slides a foot into or out of the footwear article. The collar elevator may include a forwardly inclined angle. In addition, the footwear article may include a doffing ledge, in some instances, which includes characteristics based on the forwardly inclined angle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A footwear article comprising:
a sole;
an upper coupled to the sole and comprising an ankle collar that is movable between a lowered state positioned closer to the sole and a raised state positioned farther from the sole, the upper including an exterior layer and an inner lining; and
a collar elevator operable to return the ankle collar from the lowered state to the raised state, the collar elevator comprising:
a medial lever arm;
a lateral lever arm;
a center connecting band that couples the medial lever arm to the lateral lever arm and that is located near a rear portion of the ankle collar, wherein, at an intersection with a longitudinal midline reference plane, the center connecting band comprises a rectangular-shaped cross section having a length in a superior-inferior orientation; and
a base that is affixed at a first junction to the medial lever arm and at a second junction to the lateral lever arm, the base continuously extending from the first junction, around a backside of the footwear article, to the second junction, wherein the medial lever arm, the lateral lever arm, the center connecting band, and the base comprise a uniform thickness between an inner side facing towards a foot receiving cavity and an outer side facing away from the foot receiving cavity; wherein the center connecting band comprises an anterior material layer affixed to a posterior material layer; wherein the anterior material layer and the posterior material layer are affixed face-to-face without a space between the anterior material layer and the posterior material layer; and wherein the anterior material layer and the posterior material layer each extend the length of the center connecting band.

2. The footwear article of claim 1 , wherein the medial lever arm forms a first acute angle with the base at the first junction, and wherein the lateral lever arm forms a second acute angle with the base at the second junction.

3. The footwear article of claim 1 , wherein the medial lever arm, the lateral lever arm, the center connecting band, and the base comprise a single continuous body.

4. The footwear article of claim 1 , wherein at the intersection with the longitudinal midline reference plane, the center connecting band is oriented at a forwardly inclined angle in a range of between 45 degrees and 70 degrees.

5. A footwear article comprising a collar elevator, the collar elevator comprising:
a deformable element comprising:
a base having a first base end, a second base end, and a base thickness between a base first side and a base second side;
a first lever arm attached to the first base end at a first junction of the base and the first lever arm, the first lever arm comprising a first-lever-arm thickness between a first-lever-arm first side and a first-lever-arm second side;
a second lever arm attached to the second end at a second junction of the base and the second lever arm, the second lever arm comprising a second-lever-arm thickness between a second-lever-arm first side and a second-lever-arm second side; and
a center connecting band that couples the first lever arm to the second lever arm and that comprises a center-connecting-band thickness between a center-connecting-band first side and a center-connecting-band second side, wherein:
the base thickness, the first-lever-arm thickness, the second-lever-arm thickness, and the center-connecting-band thickness comprise a uniform thickness;
the center connecting band comprises an anterior material layer affixed face-to-face with a posterior material layer without a space between the anterior material layer and the posterior material layer;
in a respective cross section, which is relative to a longitudinal midline reference plane of the footwear article, the center connecting band includes a shape that is symmetrical relative to a longitudinal reference axis of the center connecting band and that includes a length larger than a width;
the anterior material layer and the posterior material layer extend an entirety of the length; and
the deformable element is operable to return an ankle collar of the footwear from a lowered state to a raised state.

6. The footwear article of claim 5 , wherein the collar elevator is positioned in the footwear article to return an ankle collar from a lowered state to a raised state; wherein the first junction is on a medial side of the footwear article and the second junction is on a lateral side of the footwear article; wherein the base extends from the medial side, around a backside of the footwear article, to the lateral side; and wherein the center connecting band is positioned near a rear portion of the ankle collar.

7. The footwear article of claim 5 , wherein in the cross section, the center connecting band comprises a rectangular shape.

8. The footwear article of claim 5 , wherein the anterior layer is an innermost layer of the collar elevator and the posterior layer is an outer layer of the collar elevator.

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Hopkins Timothy P
• Owings Andrew A
• Toelle Haley

Classifications

• A43B11/00 Primary

  Footwear with arrangements to facilitate putting-on or removing, e.g. with straps · CPC title

• A43B11/02 Primary

  with built-in shoe-horns · CPC title

• A43B13/00

  Soles; Sole-and-heel integral units · CPC title

• A43B13/14

  characterised by the constructive form · CPC title

• A43B13/148

  Wedged end portions · CPC title