Footwear heel support device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024341410-A1
Application number	US-202418756463-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 27, 2024
Priority date	Feb 13, 2019
Publication date	Oct 17, 2024
Grant date	—

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 and disposed between an inner layer of the footwear upper and an outer layer of the footwear upper, 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 including a tip at a superior end of the upper portion and extending away from the foot-receiving cavity; 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;
padding disposed at least partially over an upper surface of the tip between the tip and the inner layer of the footwear upper; wherein the upper surface of the tip is a sloped ramp surface that slopes forward and downward toward the foot-receiving cavity at a rear of the heel region; and wherein the padding varies in thickness in a forward direction over the sloped ramp surface.

2 . The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the padding is thickest adjacent to the sloped ramp surface.

3 . The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the padding bulges over the sloped ramp surface.

4 . The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the sloped ramp surface 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.

5 . The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the inner layer and the outer layer are joined by an inverted seam proximate a distal end of the tip.

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

7 . The article of footwear of claim 1 , wherein the upper portion includes a center segment, a medial side arm extending downwardly and forwardly from the center segment at a medial side of the article of footwear, and a lateral side arm extending downwardly and forwardly from the center segment at a lateral side of the article of footwear.

8 . A device for easing foot entry into an article of footwear, the device comprising:
a control bar and a base underlying the control bar; wherein the control bar includes a plurality of slats, the plurality of slats including an uppermost slat and a lowermost slat closer to the base than the uppermost slat; each slat of the plurality of slats having:
a center segment;
a medial side arm extending from the center segment to a medial end connected to a medial side of the base; and
a lateral side arm extending from the center segment to a lateral end connected to a lateral side of the base; wherein the center segments of the plurality of slats progressively increase in width from the lowermost slat to the uppermost slat;
wherein the center segment of the uppermost slat has a tip; and wherein an upper surface of the tip has a slope that increases in a forward direction.

9 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the control bar is resiliently bendable between an unloaded position and a loaded position in which at least one center segment is closer to the base than in the unloaded position.

10 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the medial side arms of the plurality of slats progressively increase in width from the lowermost slat to the uppermost slat.

11 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the lateral side arms of the plurality of slats progressively increase in width from the lowermost slat to the uppermost slat.

12 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the lowermost slat is shorter and thinner than the uppermost slat.

13 . The device of claim 8 , wherein the slope of the upper surface of the tip increases in the forward direction along a longitudinal midline of the article of footwear, providing a ramp.

14 . The device of claim 8 , wherein an outer perimeter of the center segment has a discontinuity point at the tip.

15 . 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 and disposed between an inner layer of the footwear upper and an outer layer of the footwear upper, 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: a control bar and a base underlying the control bar; wherein the control bar includes a plurality of slats, the plurality of slats including an uppermost slat and a lowermost slat closer to the base than the uppermost slat; each slat of the plurality of slats having:
a center segment;
a medial side arm extending from the center segment to a medial end connected to a medial side of the base; and
a lateral side arm extending from the center segment to a lateral end connected to a lateral side of the base; wherein the center segments of the plurality of slats progressively increase in width from the lowermost slat to the uppermost slat;
wherein the center segment of the uppermost slat has a tip; and wherein an upper surface of the tip has a slope that increases in a forward direction.

16 . The article of footwear of claim 15 , wherein the control bar is resiliently bendable between an unloaded position and a loaded position in which at least one center segment is closer to the base than in the unloaded position.

17 . The article of footwear of claim 15 , wherein the medial side arms of the plurality of slats progressively increase in width from the lowermost slat to the uppermost slat; and/or
wherein the lateral side arms of the plurality of slats progressively increase in width from the lowermost slat to the uppermost slat.

18 . The article of footwear of claim 15 , wherein the lowermost slat is shorter and thinner than the uppermost slat.

19 . The article of footwear of claim 15 , wherein the slope of the upper surface of the tip increases in the forward direction along a longitudinal midline of the article of footwear, providing a ramp.

20 . The article of footwear of claim 15 , wherein an outer perimeter of the center segment has a discontinuity point at the tip.

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