Footwear article with collar elevator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023380539-A1
Application number	US-202318233578-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 14, 2023
Priority date	Dec 21, 2018
Publication date	Nov 30, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

A footwear article includes a collar elevator to raise an ankle collar from a lowered position to a raised position. For example, the ankle collar may be lowered when a wearer slides a foot into or out of the footwear article. The collar elevator may include a plurality of discrete elongated members.

First claim

Claimed is:

1 . A footwear article comprising:
a sole; an upper coupled to the 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; and a collar elevator operable to return the ankle collar from the lowered state to the raised state, the collar elevator having a medial lever arm, a lateral lever arm, and a center connecting band that couples the medial lever arm to the lateral lever arm and that is located near a rear portion of the ankle collar, wherein:
the center connecting band comprises a plurality of discrete elongated members, and
each discrete elongated member comprises a round cross section.

2 . The footwear article of claim 1 , wherein each discrete elongated member extends from the medial lever arm to the lateral lever arm.

3 . The footwear article of claim 1 further comprising: a medial side paddle coupled to the medial lever arm and a lateral side paddle coupled to the lateral lever arm, wherein each discrete elongated member extends from the medial side paddle to the lateral side paddle.

4 . The footwear article of claim 1 , wherein each discrete elongated member comprises a circular cross section.

5 . The footwear article of claim 1 , wherein each discrete elongated member comprises a wire.

6 . The footwear article of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of discrete elongated members comprises three or more discrete elongated members.

7 . The footwear article of claim 1 , wherein:
the plurality of discrete elongated members comprises a first discrete elongated member and a second discrete elongated member; and the first discrete elongated member is superior and anterior relative to the second discrete elongated member.

8 . The footwear article of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of discrete elongated members comprises a metal core encased in a cover.

Assignees

• Nike Inc

Inventors

• Hopkins Timothy P
• Owings Andrew A
• Toelle Haley

Classifications

• A43B11/00 Primary

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

• A43B23/027

  with a part of the upper particularly flexible, e.g. permitting articulation or torsion · CPC title

• A43B23/088

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

• A43B5/00

  Footwear for sporting purposes (non-skid devices, e.g. ice-spurs or studs for football shoes, A43C15/00) · CPC title

• A43B11/02 Primary

  with built-in shoe-horns · CPC title