Footwear article with collar elevator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11825902-B2
Application number	US-202217750193-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 20, 2022
Priority date	Dec 28, 2018
Publication date	Nov 28, 2023
Grant date	Nov 28, 2023

Abstract

A footwear article includes a collar elevator that returns an ankle collar from a lowered state that is conducive to donning up to a raised state that secures the wearer's foot during wear. The collar elevator includes a lever arm. The lever arm may be deformable and biased towards the raised state. The lever arm may be articulated with a biasing force urging the lever arm to the raised state. The lever arm may have a variety of cross sections as well. The lever arm extends from a base, which may a sole portion of the footwear article. The lever arm and the base may be monolithic, permanently joined, removably joined, or otherwise connected.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A footwear article comprising:
an upper coupled to a sole, wherein the upper comprises an inner material layer and an outer material layer;
an ankle collar that is movable between a lowered state positioned closer to the sole and a raised state positioned farther from the sole; and
a collar elevator operable to return the ankle collar from the lowered state to the raised state, the collar elevator comprising:
a base that continuously extends from a first junction on a medial side of the footwear article, around a backside of the footwear article, to a second junction on a lateral side of the footwear article;
a medial lever arm comprising a proximal end, which is coupled to the base at the first junction, and a distal end;
a lateral lever arm comprising a proximal end, which is coupled to the base at the second junction, and a distal end, wherein the medial lever arm, the lateral lever arm, and the base are positioned between the inner material layer and the outer material layer; and wherein the distal end of the medial lever arm is discontinuous with the distal end of the lateral lever arm; and
wherein the distal end of the medial lever arm and the distal end of the lateral lever arm are separated by a gap; and wherein the upper further comprises a heel pull that is aligned with at least a portion of the gap.

2. The footwear article of claim 1 , wherein the medial lever arm, the lateral lever arm, and the base include an inner side facing the inner material layer, an outer side facing the outer material layer, and a uniform thickness between the inner side and the outer side.

3. The footwear article of claim 1 , wherein in a respective cross section, the medial lever arm and the lateral lever arm include a larger height in an inferior-superior orientation than width in a mediolateral orientation.

4. The footwear article of claim 3 , wherein in a respective cross section, the base includes a larger height in an inferior-superior orientation than width in an anterior-posterior orientation.

5. The footwear article of claim 1 , wherein the medial lever arm distal end and the lateral lever arm distal end are independently moveable relative to the sole.

6. The footwear article of claim 1 , wherein the medial lever arm extends from the first junction in a heel ward direction and the lateral lever arm extends from the second junction in the heel ward direction.

7. The footwear article of claim 1 further comprising a heel pull at a heel end of the upper.

8. A footwear article comprising:
an upper coupled to a 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;
a collar elevator operable to return the ankle collar from the lowered state to the raised state, the collar elevator comprising:
a first lever arm having a proximal end anchored near the sole and a distal end extending in a heel ward direction, and
a second lever arm having a proximal end anchored near the sole and a distal end extending in the heel ward direction, wherein the first lever arm distal end and the second lever arm distal end are separated by a gap; and

a heel pull located at the heel end of the upper, wherein the heel pull is aligned, in the anterior-posterior orientation, with at least a portion of the gap.

9. The footwear article of claim 8 , wherein a distance that spans the gap is measured as a direct line extending between the first lever arm distal end and the second lever arm distal end, and wherein the distance is less than a width of the heel pull in the mediolateral orientation.

10. The footwear article of claim 8 , wherein the first lever arm distal end and the second lever arm distal end are independently moveable relative to the sole.

11. The footwear article of claim 8 , wherein the heel pull overlaps the first lever arm distal end in the anterior-posterior orientation.

12. The footwear article of claim 8 , wherein the heel pull comprises a central axis, and wherein the central axis of the heel pull is aligned with a longitudinal axis of the footwear article.

13. The footwear article of claim 8 , wherein the heel pull is a pull tab.

14. The footwear article of claim 8 , wherein the heel pull is a loop.

15. The footwear article of claim 8 , wherein the heel pull further comprises joining location connecting the heel pull to the upper.

16. The footwear article of claim 15 , wherein the joining location comprises an aperture in an outer layer of the upper.

17. The footwear article of claim 15 , wherein the joining location is located adjacent the sole.

18. The footwear article of claim 8 , wherein a distance that spans the gap is measured as a direct line extending between the first lever arm distal end and the second lever arm distal end, and wherein the distance is greater than a width of the heel pull in the mediolateral orientation.

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Hopkins Timothy P
• Orand Austin J
• Flanagan Wade
• Weast Aaron B
• Williams Ii Peter P

Classifications

• A43B23/088

  Heel stiffeners (A43B23/10, A43B23/14, A43B23/16, A43B23/17 take precedence) · CPC title

• A43B11/00 Primary

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

• A43B23/028 Primary

  Resilient uppers, e.g. shock absorbing · CPC title

• A43B11/02 Primary

  with built-in shoe-horns · CPC title

• A43B23/10

  made of metal {(A43B23/082 takes precedence)} · CPC title