Footwear heel support device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12059056-B2
Application number	US-202318545318-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 19, 2023
Priority date	Feb 13, 2019
Publication date	Aug 13, 2024
Grant date	Aug 13, 2024

Abstract

An article of footwear includes an upper defining a foot-receiving cavity with a heel region, and a heel support device extending around the rear of a heel region from a lateral side to a medial side. The heel support device may include a plurality of slats and a base, the plurality of slats providing a progressive gradient of lengths and/or widths, and/or one or more pegs extending from the device for attachment to a footwear upper, and/or an elongated tip that may be disposed in a cavity of an extension of a heel collar of the upper.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An article of footwear comprising:
a footwear upper defining at least a portion of a foot-receiving cavity and defining an ankle opening at the foot-receiving cavity;
a sole structure secured to and underlying the footwear upper;
a device configured to surround a portion of the foot-receiving cavity at a heel region of the article of footwear, the device having an inner side and an outer side, the inner side closer to the foot-receiving cavity than the outer side, and the device including:
an upper portion at least partially rearward of the ankle opening; and
a lower portion adjacent to the sole structure and disposed below the upper portion and at least partially rearward of the foot-receiving cavity;

wherein, at a cross-section extending along a longitudinal midline of the article of footwear, the upper portion has a convex curvature at the inner side and a concave curvature at the outer side and the lower portion has a concave curvature at the inner side and a convex curvature at the outer side;
wherein a surface of the upper portion at the inner side faces at least partially upward, serving as a ramp for foot entry into the foot-receiving cavity; and
wherein, at the cross-section, a lower extent of the upper portion of the device is thinner than at the ramp and thinner than at an upper region of the lower portion.

2. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein:
the footwear upper is comprised of an inner layer and an outer layer; and
the device is disposed at least partially between the inner layer and the outer layer.

3. The article of footwear of claim 2 , further comprising:
foam padding disposed at least partially over the surface of the upper portion at the inner side between the device and the inner layer of the footwear upper.

4. The article of footwear of claim 2 , wherein:
the device includes a tip at a superior end of the upper portion of the device; and
the tip is disposed between the inner layer and the outer layer.

5. The article of footwear of claim 4 , wherein the surface of the upper portion at the inner side slopes forward and downward from the tip toward the foot-receiving cavity at a rear of the heel region.

6. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the surface of the upper portion at the inner side is configured as a variable-slope ramp surface with a first slope at a posterior portion of the surface and a second slope steeper than the first slope at an anterior portion of the surface lower than the posterior portion.

7. The article of footwear of claim 6 , further comprising:
foam padding at least partially overlaying the variable-slope ramp surface.

8. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein:
the device extends around a rear of the heel region from a medial side to a lateral side of the foot-receiving cavity; and
the lower portion of the device has a concave curvature at the inner side in a direction from the medial side to the lateral side.

9. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the device is configured to resiliently deform under an applied downward force on the surface of the upper portion at the inner side, such that the upper portion of the device moves at least partially rearward from a first position to a second position under the applied downward force, storing potential energy that returns the device to the first position upon removal of the applied downward force.

10. An article of footwear comprising:
a footwear upper defining a foot-receiving cavity with a heel region and defining an ankle opening;
wherein the footwear upper is comprised of an inner layer and an outer layer;
a sole structure secured to the footwear upper and underlying the foot-receiving cavity;
a heel support device extending around a rear of the heel region;
wherein the heel support device comprises an elongated tip forming a superior end of the heel support device;
wherein the heel support device is at least partially disposed in a cavity at least partially formed by the inner layer and the outer layer, with the inner layer and the outer layer at least partially enclosing the cavity;
wherein, at the rear of the heel region at a cross-section taken along a longitudinal midline of the article of footwear, the heel support device and the outer layer form a concave curvature and then a convex curvature from the superior end of the heel support device toward the sole structure at an exterior of the article of footwear and the heel support device and the inner layer form a convex curvature and then a concave curvature at the foot-receiving cavity from the superior end of the heel support device toward the sole structure; and
wherein the heel support device is configured to resiliently deform under an applied downward force on the elongated tip, such that an upper portion of the heel support device moves at least partially rearward from a first position to a second position under the applied downward force, storing potential energy that returns the heel support device to the first position upon removal of the applied downward force.

11. The article of footwear of claim 10 , wherein the inner layer and the outer layer are joined by an inverted seam proximate a distal end of the elongated tip.

12. The article of footwear of claim 10 , wherein, at the cross-section:
the upper portion forms the concave curvature with the outer layer and is at least partially rearward of the ankle opening;
the heel support device includes a lower portion that forms the convex curvature with the outer layer and is adjacent to the sole structure and disposed below the upper portion and at least partially rearward of the foot-receiving cavity; and
the upper portion of the heel support device is progressively thinner in a direction from the elongated tip toward the sole structure.

13. The article of footwear of claim 10 , further comprising:
foam padding disposed at least partially over a surface of an inner side of the heel support device between the heel support device and the inner layer of the footwear upper.

14. The article of footwear of claim 13 , wherein the surface of the inner side of the heel support device slopes forward and downward from the elongated tip toward the foot-receiving cavity at the rear of the heel region.

15. The article of footwear of claim 10 , wherein an inner side of the heel support device comprises a variable-slope ramp surface with a first slope at a posterior portion adjacent to the elongated tip and a second slope steeper than the first slope at an anterior portion lower than the posterior portion.

16. The article of footwear of claim 15 , further comprising:
foam padding at least partially overlaying the variable-slope ramp surface.

17. The article of footwear of claim 10 , wherein:
the heel support device extends around the rear of the heel region from a medial side to a lateral side of the foot-receiving cavity; and
the lower portion of the heel support device adjacent to the sole structure has a concave curvature at the foot-receiving cavity in a direction from the medial side to the lateral side.

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Kilgore Elizabeth A
• Orand Austin
• Owings Andrew A

Classifications

• A43B11/00 Primary

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

• A43B23/0235

  Different layers of different material · CPC title

• A43B3/0036 Primary

  characterised by a special shape or design · CPC title

• A43B13/181

  Resiliency achieved by the structure of the sole · CPC title

• A43B23/088 Primary

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