Lace-receiving structure for articles of footwear

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11930890-B2
Application number	US-202117219605-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 31, 2021
Priority date	Mar 31, 2021
Publication date	Mar 19, 2024
Grant date	Mar 19, 2024

Abstract

This disclosure is directed to lace-receiving structures that may be included in articles of footwear. The lace-receiving structure can include a first longitudinal portion, a second longitudinal portion spaced apart from the first longitudinal portion to define a gap therebetween, and an intermediate portion that includes a first folded region adjacent the first longitudinal portion and a second folded region adjacent the second longitudinal portion. The lace guide can be a continuous piece of material that includes the first portion, the intermediate portion, and the second portion.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An article of footwear comprising:
an upper that has a lateral side, a medial side, and a throat area between the medial and lateral sides; and
a lace guide attached to the upper, the lace guide comprising a first portion that extends along the medial side of the upper in a first direction, a second portion that extends along the lateral side of the upper in a second direction, and an intermediate portion that extends between the first and second portions to space the first and second portions apart on opposing sides of the throat area,
wherein the first portion and the second portion at least partly define a plurality of apertures that can receive a lace member, and the lace guide is an elongate continuous piece of material that includes the first portion, the intermediate portion, and the second portion,
wherein the intermediate portion comprises a first folded region adjacent the first portion a second folded region adjacent the second portion,
wherein the elongate continuous piece of material has a first side and a second side that is opposite the first side, and the first side faces away from a surface of the upper at the first and second portions, and the first side faces toward the surface of the upper at the intermediate portion, and
wherein the first folded region and the second folded region cause the intermediate portion to extend in a direction different from the first direction and the second direction, such that the intermediate portion extends from the medial side of the upper to the lateral side of the upper.

2. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the lace guide comprises a plurality of attached regions and a plurality of unattached regions, and the unattached regions define the plurality of apertures in combination with a surface of the upper.

3. The article of footwear of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of attached regions are secured to the upper by stitching.

4. The article of footwear of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of attached regions are secured to the upper by mechanical fasteners, a heat treatment, and/or adhesives.

5. The article of footwear of claim 2 , wherein the apertures define tunnels that extend from a first longitudinal side of the lace guide to a second longitudinal side of the lace guide, the first longitudinal side of the lace guide being closer to the throat area than the second longitudinal side.

6. The article of footwear of claim 5 , wherein at least some of the tunnels are at an angle relative to an adjacent area of the first longitudinal side, the angle being between 80 and 110.

7. The article of footwear of claim 1 , further comprising a first covering member and a second covering member, the first covering member extending over at least a portion of the first portion of the lace guide and the second covering member extending over at least a portion of the second portion of the lace guide.

8. The article of footwear of claim 7 , wherein the first covering member extends from a sole structure to the first portion of the lace guide and the second covering member extends from the sole structure to the second portion of the lace guide, wherein the first covering member is attached to the first portion of the lace guide and the second covering member is attached to the second portion of the lace guide.

9. A lace guide for attachment to a medial and a lateral side an upper of an article of footwear, comprising:
a first longitudinal portion extending in a first direction;
a second longitudinal portion extending in a second direction, the second longitudinal portion being spaced apart from the first longitudinal portion to define a gap therebetween; and
an intermediate portion that includes a first folded region adjacent the first longitudinal portion and a second folded region adjacent the second longitudinal portion, the intermediate portion being sized to space the first longitudinal portion apart from the second longitudinal portion across a throat area of the article of footwear,
wherein the lace guide is an elongate continuous piece of material that includes the first portion, the intermediate portion, and the second portion,
wherein the lace guide has a first side and a second side opposite the first side, wherein the first side defines a top surface in the first and second longitudinal portions and the first and second folded regions cause the intermediate portion to have a different top surface than the first and second longitudinal portions so that the second side defines the top surface in the intermediate portion, and
wherein the first folded region and the second folded region cause the intermediate portion to extend in a direction different from the first direction and the second direction, such that the intermediate portion extends across the gap.

10. The lace guide of claim 9 , wherein the first and second folded regions comprises adjacent facing surfaces of the first side of the lace guide.

11. The lace guide of claim 10 , wherein the facing surfaces of the first and second folded regions are attached to each other.

12. The lace guide of claim 11 , wherein facing surfaces of the first and second folded regions are secured by stitching.

13. The lace guide of claim 11 , wherein facing surfaces of the first and second folded regions are secured by mechanical fasteners, a heat treatment, and/or adhesives.

14. The lace guide of claim 9 , wherein the first longitudinal portion defines a first angle relative to the intermediate portion, and the second longitudinal portion defines a second angle relative to the intermediate portion,
wherein the first and second angles range from 90° to 110°.

15. A method of forming an article of footwear, comprising, attaching the lace guide of claim 9 to an upper.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising attaching the lace guide to the upper at a plurality of attached regions, wherein at least some adjacent ones of the plurality the plurality of attached regions are spaced apart by unattached regions, the unattached regions defining respective apertures in combination with a surface of the upper.

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Wehrmeyer Brenton

Classifications

• A43C1/04 Primary

  with rings or loops · CPC title

• A43C5/00

  Eyelets (machines for setting eyelets A43D100/00) · CPC title

• A43C7/02

  Flaps; Pockets · CPC title

• A43C1/00 Primary

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