Integrated manual pump for article of footwear

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12369690-B2
Application number	US-202318306059-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 24, 2023
Priority date	Apr 28, 2022
Publication date	Jul 29, 2025
Grant date	Jul 29, 2025

Abstract

An article of footwear includes an upper having a chamber, a sole structure including a recess forming a cavity, and a pump device disposed within the cavity, in fluid communication with the chamber, and operable to move the upper from a relaxed state to a constricted state by selectively evacuating fluid from the chamber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An article of footwear comprising:
an upper including a chamber;
a sole structure including a recess forming a cavity;
a pump device disposed within the cavity, in fluid communication with the chamber, and operable to move the upper from a relaxed state to a constricted state by selectively evacuating fluid from the chamber; and
an actuator cable routed through the pump device and including a tightening grip extending across a top of the upper, the actuator cable operable to actuate the pump device when an actuating force is applied to the tightening grip.

2. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the actuator cable is moveable in a tightening direction to move the upper from the relaxed state to the constricted state.

3. The article of footwear of claim 2 , wherein the tightening grip is connected to the pump device.

4. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the pump device includes a piston coupled to the actuator cable.

5. The article of footwear of claim 4 , wherein the pump device includes at least one biasing member coupled to the piston.

6. The article of footwear of claim 5 , wherein the at least one biasing member biases the piston in a first direction and the actuator cable is operable to move the piston in a second direction.

7. The article of footwear of claim 4 , further comprising a bearing coupled to the piston, the actuator cable being connected to the bearing.

8. The article of footwear of claim 1 , further comprising a release in fluid communication with the pump device and operable to move the upper from the constricted state to the relaxed state.

9. The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the pump device includes a valve in fluid communication with the chamber of the upper.

10. An article of footwear comprising:
an upper including a chamber;
a pump in fluid communication with the chamber, the pump operable in a first state to evacuate fluid from the chamber; and
an actuator having a first portion routed through the pump and a second portion disposed along the upper, the actuator operable to move the pump into the first state to move the upper from a relaxed state to a constricted state by evacuating a fluid from the chamber when an actuating force is applied to the second portion by pulling the second portion away from the upper.

11. The article of footwear of claim 10 , wherein the pump includes a housing and a piston disposed within the housing, the piston moveable in a first direction in the first state to draw fluid into the housing and in a second direction to exhaust fluid from the housing.

12. The article of footwear of claim 11 , wherein the pump includes a biasing member operable to bias the piston in the second direction.

13. The article of footwear of claim 11 , wherein the actuator is operable to move the piston in the first direction.

14. The article of footwear of claim 11 , wherein the first portion of the actuator is connected to the piston.

15. The article of footwear of claim 11 , wherein the housing includes a first bearing and the piston includes a second bearing, the first portion of the actuator being routed along the first bearing and a third portion of the actuator being routed along the second bearing.

16. The article of footwear of claim 15 , wherein the first bearing includes an arcuate first bearing surface and the second bearing includes an arcuate second bearing surface facing an opposite direction than the arcuate first bearing surface.

17. The article of footwear of claim 10 , wherein the second portion of the actuator includes a tightening grip extending around the upper.

18. The article of footwear of claim 10 , further comprising a release operable to selectively permit a flow of fluid into the chamber to move the upper from the constricted state to the relaxed state.

19. The article of footwear of claim 10 , wherein the chamber includes a compressible component disposed within the chamber.

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Bishop Jennifer L
• Hopkins Timothy P
• Long Nicholas R
• Miller Todd W
• Panian Nadia M
• Seid Aaron K
• Hansen Richard Kristian

Classifications

• A43B11/00

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

• A43B23/029 Primary

  Pneumatic upper, e.g. gas filled · CPC title

• A43C11/00 Primary

  Other fastenings specially adapted for shoes (dress fastenings in general A44B) · CPC title