Lace routing pattern of a lacing system for an article of footwear
AssigneeNIKE, Inc.
InventorsTiffany A. Beers, Andrew A. Owings
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Abstract
A lace routing pattern for a lacing system for an article of footwear is described. The lacing system is moved between opened and closed positions by applying tension to segments of a lace connected to a tensioning assembly of a tensioning system. Each of the lace segments are arranged to extend between opposite sides of a lacing area according to a different lace routing pattern. The lace routing patterns have equal total closure distances for each of the lace segments so that tension applied by the tensioning system will be uniformly distributed through the lacing system and the article of footwear.
Claims18
A lacing system for an article of footwear with a tensioning assembly, the lacing system comprising:
- a lace having comprising a first lace segment and a second lace segment;
- wherein the first lace segment has a first end and a second end, the first end configured to be attached to an upper of the article of footwear on one of a medial side and a lateral side of the upper, and the second end configured to be connected to the tensioning assembly;
- wherein the second lace segment has a first end and a second end, the first end configured to be attached to the upper of the article of footwear on one of the medial side and the lateral side of the upper, and the second end configured to be connected to the tensioning assembly;
- and
- a plurality of lacing guides that are made of a closed tubular material, the plurality of lacing guides including at least a first lacing guide and a second lacing guide, the first lacing guide crossing over and overlapping the second lacing guide, the first lace segment extending through the first lacing guide and the second lace segment extending through the second lacing guide, the first lacing guide and the first lace segment together forming a first routing pattern, and the second lacing guide and the second lace segment together forming a second routing pattern;
- wherein the lacing guides are positioned in a lacing area, the lacing area configured to extend from a throat opening of the article of footwear in a longitudinal direction towards an area proximate to a forefoot region of the article of footwear and between a medial edge on the medial side of the upper and a lateral edge on the lateral side of the upper;
- wherein a total closure distance between the medial edge and the lateral edge of the lacing area according to the first routing pattern is approximately equal to a total closure distance between the medial edge and the lateral edge of the lacing area according to the second routing pattern.
An article of footwear, comprising:
- an upper including a lacing area extending from a throat opening of the article of footwear in a longitudinal direction towards an area proximate to a forefoot region of the article of footwear, the lacing area extending between a medial edge on a medial side of the upper and a lateral edge on a lateral side of the upper;
- a tensioning assembly for adjusting tension of the lacing area of the upper;
- a lace having comprising a first lace segment and a second lace segment;
- and
- a plurality of lacing guides that are made of a closed tubular material, the plurality of lacing guides including at least a first lacing guide and a second lacing guide, the first lacing guide crossing over and overlapping the second lacing guide, the first lace segment extending through the first lacing guide and the second lace segment extending through the second lacing guide, the first lacing guide and the first lace segment together forming a first routing pattern, and the second lacing guide and the second lace segment together forming a second routing pattern, wherein the lacing guides are positioned in the lacing area;
- wherein a total closure distance between the medial edge and the lateral edge of the lacing area according to the first routing pattern is approximately equal to a total closure distance between the medial edge and the lateral edge of the lacing area according to the second routing pattern.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.