Zonal dynamic lacing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12239189-B2
Application number	US-202217851420-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2022
Priority date	Sep 19, 2018
Publication date	Mar 4, 2025
Grant date	Mar 4, 2025

Abstract

An article of footwear includes an upper and a sole structure attached to the upper. The article of footwear also includes a cable lock disposed within the sole structure adjacent to a bottom surface of the sole structure. The article of footwear includes a first cable having a first section extending from the cable lock to a first anchor point on the upper and a second section extending from the cable lock to a second anchor point on the upper. The article of footwear further includes a second cable having a first section extending from the cable lock to a grip and a second section extending from the cable lock to the grip, whereby the cable lock is operable to retract the first section and the second section of the first cable when the first section and the second section of the second cable are extended.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An article of footwear comprising:
an upper defining an interior void and having a medial side and a lateral side;
a sole structure attached to the upper and having a top surface facing toward the interior void and a ground-engaging bottom surface formed on an opposite side of the sole structure from the top surface, wherein the sole structure includes a cavity formed in the bottom surface;
a flap extending in a direction from the sole structure at a first side of the sole structure toward a second side of the sole structure, the flap including a first end fixed to the sole structure and a second end, opposite the first end, the second end being a free end of the flap movable relative to the upper;
a tightening grip extending from the medial side to the lateral side, the tightening grip disposed adjacent an ankle opening of the sole structure;
a first strap extending from the medial side to the lateral side adjacent the ankle opening;
a second strap extending from a first end on the lateral side to a second end on the medial side and from the second end on the medial side to a third end on the lateral side, wherein the second strap forms a loop at the second end;
a cable lock disposed within the cavity of the sole structure; and
a first cable extending from the cable lock having a first section extending from the second side to the flap, and a second section extending from the flap to the first side, the first cable operable to draw the flap toward the second side when moved from a relaxed state to a tightened state, wherein:
1) The first side is a lateral side of the sole structure and the second side is a medial side of the sole structure, or
2) The first side is the medial side of the sole structure and the second side is the lateral side of the sole structure.

2. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the second section is fixed to an anchor point disposed on the flap.

3. The article of footwear of claim 2 , further comprising:
a first cable guide attached to the flap, the first cable guide engaging the first cable between the first section and the second section.

4. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the flap extends over an outer surface of the upper.

5. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the first strap is detached from the upper.

6. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the flap includes an edge defining a first tab separated from a second tab by a gap, wherein the first section extends to the first tab and the second section extends from the first tab.

7. The article of footwear of claim 6 , wherein the first tab is independently movable from the second tab.

8. An article of footwear comprising:
an upper defining an interior void and having a medial side and a lateral side;
a sole structure attached to the upper and having a top surface facing toward the interior void and a ground-engaging bottom surface formed on an opposite side of the sole structure from the top surface;
a cable lock disposed within the sole structure, the cable lock disposed adjacent to the bottom surface;
a flap extending in a direction from the sole structure at a first end fixed at a first side of the sole structure toward a second end opposite the first end, the second end being detachable relative to the sole structure, wherein the flap extends along an outer surface of the upper;
a strap extending from a first end attached to a bite line of the sole structure on the lateral side to a second end on the medial side, the second end disposed adjacent a tongue portion of the sole structure, and to a third end attached to the bite line on the lateral side; and
a first cable zigzagging between the sole structure and the flap and extending from the cable lock, the first cable operable to draw the flap toward a second side of the sole structure opposite the first side when moved from a relaxed state to a tightened state.

9. The article of footwear of claim 8 , wherein the strap turns at the second end to form a loop, and wherein the first cable is routed through the loop of the strap.

10. The article of footwear of claim 8 , wherein the first cable includes a first section extending from the second side to the flap, and a second section extending from the flap to the first side, wherein:
1) The first side is a lateral side of the sole structure and the second side is a medial side of the sole structure, or
2) The first side is the medial side of the sole structure and the second side is the lateral side of the sole structure.

11. The article of footwear of claim 10 , wherein a portion of the second section is fixed to an anchor point of the flap.

12. The article of footwear of claim 11 , further comprising a first cable guide attached to the flap, the first cable engaging the first cable between the first section and the second section.

13. The article of footwear of claim 8 , wherein the flap includes an edge defining a first tab separated from a second tab by a gap, and wherein the first cable extends to the first tab and the second tab.

14. The article of footwear of claim 13 , wherein the first tab is independently movable from the second tab.

15. An article of footwear comprising:
an upper defining an interior void and having a medial side and a lateral side;
a sole structure attached to the upper, the sole structure including a cavity;
a cable lock disposed within the cavity;
a first flap extending across the upper from the medial side to the lateral side, the first flap including a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the second end including a first tab and a second tab, wherein the first tab is independently movable from the second tab;
a second flap extending along the upper on the lateral side, the second flap including a first end and a second end, opposite the first end, wherein the first flap extends further across the upper than does the second flap;
a first cable extending from the cable lock to the first flap operable to draw the first flap toward the lateral side when moved from a relaxed state to a tightened state; and
a second cable extending from the cable lock to a grip operable to draw the first flap toward the medial side when move from the tightened state to the relaxed state, wherein the second cable is configured to act on the first cable when a tensile force is applied to the second cable.

16. The article of footwear of claim 15 , wherein the first cable is operable to draw the second flap toward the medial side when moved from the relaxed state to the tightened state.

17. The article of footwear of claim 16 , wherein the first end of the first flap is attached to the sole structure at the medial side and the first end of the second flap is attached to the sole structure at the lateral side, and wherein the second end of the first flap is not attached to either of the upper or the sole structure and the second end of the second flap is not attached to either of the upper or the sole structure.

18. The article of footwear of claim 16 , wherein a width of the first flap tapers from the second end to the first end, and where a width of the second flap tapers from the second end to the first end.

19. The article of footwear of claim 15 , wherein the first flap extends over an outer surface of the upper.

20. The article of footwear of claim 15 , wherein the first tab is separated from the second tab by a gap.

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Chiou George
• Klein Ross
• Kuerbis Tate E
• Liu Max
• Orand Austin J
• Sulistyo Nuryani K
• Sun Harry Y

Classifications

• A43C7/08

  Clamps drawn tight by laces · CPC title

• A43C1/06

  tightened by draw-strings · CPC title

• A43B11/00 Primary

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

• A43B1/0072

  made at least partially of transparent or translucent materials · CPC title

• A43C1/003 Primary

  Zone lacing, i.e. whereby different zones of the footwear have different lacing tightening degrees, using one or a plurality of laces (laces combined with another system A43C11/008; zone tightening using straps A43C11/14) · CPC title