US 10,765,175 B2Granted

Article with adjustable rearward covering portion

AssigneeNIKE, Inc.

InventorsNadia M. Panian, Thomas J. Rushbrook

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

An article of footwear includes an upper with a forward covering portion and a rearward covering portion. The rearward covering portion can be adjusted between an open configuration for receiving a foot and a closed configuration for covering the foot. In the open configuration the rearward covering portion is approximately flat, while in the closed configuration the rearward covering portion has a three-dimensional shape. The rearward covering portion may be folded vertically between the open configuration and the closed configuration. A tensioning member can be used to control the configuration of the rearward covering portion.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An article of footwear, comprising:

a longitudinal direction extending from a forefoot portion to a heel portion of the article of footwear;
a lateral direction extending from a lateral side to a medial side of the article of footwear;
a vertical direction that is generally perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the lateral direction;
a base portion configured to support a sole of a foot, the base portion including a central portion and an outer peripheral portion;
an upper comprising a forward covering portion and a rearward covering portion, the upper having an upper periphery and a lower periphery, wherein the upper periphery includes a portion of the upper disposed adjacent to a throat fastening region and the lower periphery includes a portion of the upper disposed adjacent to a sole structure of the article of footwear;
the forward covering portion attached to the base portion, wherein the forward covering portion is configured to cover a portion of a forefoot of the foot;
the rearward covering portion attached to the base portion, wherein the rearward covering portion is configured to cover a portion of a heel of the foot;
the rearward covering portion further including a first peripheral portion and a second peripheral portion, the first peripheral portion being attached to the outer peripheral portion of the base portion;
the rearward covering portion having an open configuration configured to receive the foot and a closed configuration configured to cover the foot;
a tensioning member extending through a plurality of apertures within the rearward covering portion and also extending through a plurality of apertures within the upper periphery of the forward covering portion, the tensioning member further extending along an outward facing surface of the rearward covering portion and extending from an outward facing surface of the forward covering portion through an opening located in the lower periphery of the outward facing surface of the forward covering portion, wherein the tensioning member adjusts the rearward covering portion between the open configuration and the closed configuration, the tensioning member having a first end portion and a second end portion;
a tensioning device attached to the first end portion and the second end portion of the tensioning member to adjust tension in the tensioning member;
wherein the first peripheral portion has a vertical position that is substantially unchanged between the open configuration and the closed configuration;
and
wherein a vertical position of the second peripheral portion changes substantially between the open configuration and the closed configuration.

11 more elements

An article of footwear, comprising:

a base portion configured to support a sole of a foot, the base portion including a central portion and an outer peripheral portion;
an upper comprising a forward covering portion and a rearward covering portion, the upper having an upper periphery and a lower periphery, wherein the upper periphery includes a portion of the upper disposed adjacent to a throat fastening region and the lower periphery includes a portion of the upper disposed adjacent to a sole structure of the article of footwear;
the forward covering portion attached to the base portion, wherein the forward covering portion is configured to cover a portion of a forefoot of the foot;
the rearward covering portion attached to the base portion, wherein the rearward covering portion is configured to cover a portion of a heel of the foot;
the rearward covering portion further including a first peripheral portion and a second peripheral portion, the first peripheral portion being attached to the outer peripheral portion of the base portion;
the rearward covering portion having an open configuration where the rearward covering portion is approximately flat and the rearward covering portion having a closed configuration where the rearward covering portion has a three-dimensional shape;
wherein the rearward covering portion has a U-like shape in the open configuration;
a tensioning member extending through a plurality of apertures within the upper periphery of the forward covering portion and also extending through a plurality of apertures within the rearward covering portion, the tensioning member further extending along an outward facing surface of the rearward covering portion and extending from an outward facing surface of the forward covering portion through an opening located in the lower periphery of the outward facing surface of the forward covering portion, wherein the tensioning member includes a first end portion and a second end portion;
and
an automatic tensioning device configured to automatically adjust tension in the tensioning member, wherein the automatic tensioning device is attached to the first end portion and the second end portion of the tensioning member to adjust tension in the tensioning member.

7 more elements

An article of footwear, comprising:

a base portion configured to support a sole of a foot, the base portion including a central portion and an outer peripheral portion;
an upper comprising a forward covering portion and a rearward covering portion, the upper having an upper periphery and a lower periphery, wherein the upper periphery includes a portion of the upper disposed adjacent to a throat fastening region and the lower periphery includes a portion of the upper disposed adjacent to a sole structure of the article of footwear;
the forward covering portion attached to the base portion, wherein the forward covering portion is configured to cover a portion of a forefoot of the foot;
the rearward covering portion attached to the base portion, wherein the rearward covering portion is configured to cover a portion of a heel of the foot;
the rearward covering portion further including a first peripheral portion and a second peripheral portion, the first peripheral portion being attached to the outer peripheral portion of the base portion;
the rearward covering portion having an open configuration and a closed configuration;
wherein the rearward covering portion has an approximately flat geometry in the open configuration;
the rearward covering portion including a rear portion and a first side portion;
the rearward covering portion including at least one preconfigured folding portion disposed between the rear portion and the first side portion;
the at least one preconfigured folding portion having a first permanent ridge and a second permanent ridge;
wherein the at least one preconfigured folding portion facilitates folding between the rear portion and the first side portion when the rearward covering portion moves from the open configuration to the closed configuration;
a tensioning member extending through a plurality of apertures within the upper periphery of the forward covering portion and also extending through a plurality of apertures within the rearward covering portion;
wherein the tensioning member extends through one of the plurality of apertures within the rearward covering portion positioned on the at least one preconfigured folding portion and through one of the plurality of apertures positioned on the first side portion, and the tensioning member further extends along an outward facing surface of the rearward covering portion and extends from an outward facing surface of the forward covering portion through an opening located in the lower periphery of the outward facing surface of the forward covering portion;
and
a tensioning device configured to control tension in the tensioning member.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/259,745Filed 8 Sep 2016 · continuation
Priority: 10 Jun 2013
Published: US 2016/0374433 A129 Dec 2016
Granted: 8 Sep 2020
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

A43C 11/165
Fastenings secured by wire, bolts, or the like: characterised by a spool, reel or pulley for winding up cables, laces or straps by rotation
A43B 3/34
Footwear characterised by the shape or the use: with electrical or electronic arrangements
A43B 11/00
Footwear with arrangements to facilitate putting-on or removing
A43B 13/125
Soles with several layers of different materials: characterised by the midsole or middle layer

Family

Application13/913,632Parent of this continuation · filed 10 Jun 2013
US 2016/0374433 A1Pre-grant publication · published 29 Dec 2016
US 9,474,330 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2014/0360049 A1Published application
US 10,765,175 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Timeline

Citations

Open elsewhere

Building an agent or pulling many patents? Use the API or MCP server instead of scraping pages. Get an API key